


Bundle of Joy

by Girl_in_blue_fic



Category: Trolls (Movies 2016 2020), Trolls: The Beat Goes On (Cartoon), Trollstopia 2020
Genre: F/M, Pregnancy, angsty, mature themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:21:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27739861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Girl_in_blue_fic/pseuds/Girl_in_blue_fic
Summary: Poppy and Branch were together for two years until a serious argument turned into a major break up! Poppy is depressed and Branch is locked up in the bunker. Will Branch come out in time to fix his mistakes? Or, will Poppy's mysterious pregnancy ruin their relationship forever?
Relationships: Branch & Queen Poppy (Trolls), Branch/Queen Poppy (Trolls)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 57





	1. The Break Up!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I've had this for a while and I'm planning to take my time updating. Probably won't come out once a week like my other stories. Since it's angsty I want to advice you that I'll talk about sensitive subjects. Other than that: it's all broppyness!

Guy Diamond watched sadly as the gray queen lay on her bed, motionless, for the third week in a row. It was his turn to watch over the brokenhearted girl, for Biggie had just left (after an exhausting evening), taking with him the bowl of soup she had refused. 

Nobody fully understood what had happened, only bits of pieces of things they overheard, or things Branch had talked about here and there on his way to the bunker. The teal troll, by the way, seemed to be taking the breakup lighter than the pink queen herself. Perhaps because he was used to life being unfair with him, or because he was feeling… free? It came as a shock to Trollstopia that he had kept his colors even if he refused to leave the bunker. 

Poppy, on the other hand, stayed under her blankets, recollecting the last moments of a relationship that had filled her heart with joy for two years. Branch's last hug felt warm, firm and unwavering. He was sure of his decision to step away from her. Her eyes filled up with tears once again and she curled up under the worried eyes of her glitter friend.

She didn't see it coming and, like a trainwreck, it set her off tracks, spinning into thoughts of guilt while trying to understand what she had done wrong. Everything had seemed wonderfully right. Branch was a lovely and caring boyfriend; he had supported her through everything. Trollstopia wouldn’t exist without him.

If she had known he didn't feel prepared to be a dad she wouldn't even have mentioned it. Poppy had been feeling her biological clock ticking for a while, but she was still young. She could have waited... if only he had talked with her before snapping. 

  
  


_ Darling, nobody said that it would last forever _

_ That doesn't mean we didn't try to get there _

_ I never said that we would die together _

_ That doesn't mean it was a lie, remember _

_ Nobody said that it would last forever _

  
  


The day they broke up was terribly warm. Branch sat on Poppy’s bed, watching her sunny mood getting brighter each day. He was supposed to be feeling joyful too, since they had started dating, things were amazingly well in his life. The Pop Queen was the recklessly positive girl he had known all his life and she was an equally positive girlfriend who supported and helped him to slowly crack out of his antisocial shell. 

Poppy had emerged from her shower looking adorable, wrapped in a fluffy towel and she had been humming a song that she had been rehearsing with the Hard Rockers. She had pouted cutely at the sight of him, after all, he was already dressed and ready to resume his day after a quick pause; she had picked up her clothes that had been scattered on the floor to put them on once again. 

It was when she made the biggest mistake of her life.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you for a while.” Poppy bit her lower lip in excitement, while she slipped her blue dress on. Branch knew that look. She wanted something. She’d always give him that irresistible look when she wanted something big: like sex, like a public display of affection, like a bunker makeover, like an adventure together. He gulped nervously and waited for what was to come. “I want to stop using protection.”

Branch fell off the bed with a loud thud that made a bird that was chilling on top of her pod to fly away in protest. 

“What?” His voice high-pitched, like he had just woken up from a nightmare. The mental image of a kid breaking all his rations certainly was equally frightening.

“I’ve been dying to have a baby.” She helped him up, slipping into his arm in a hug that wasn’t returned. Branch shockingly just stared at her damp hair, with his arms raised, as if afraid to touch her. What she was asking was completely absurd at that point of their relationship. “And I love you so much…”

“Poppy,” He said nervously, pushing her away with his hands on her shoulders. He felt his forehead getting sweaty. "We have so much to do before having children." Branch hoped she’d see his point. He had barely enjoyed his life outside his bunker. He had just successfully started to interact with the other tribes. It had been only five years since they were free from the Bergens. He wanted to spend more time with her before two became three. They hadn't discussed marriage; he wasn’t even ready to move in with her. He had to still adapt out of his isolation habits before they actually decided to spend their days together. 

“Don’t be silly, Branch.” She laughed, trying to brush his worries away, but of course, she noticed the urgency and fright in his voice, so her smile faltered when she pushed farther. “We’re not that young. You’ll be an incredible dad for our happy little prince or princess.” 

He’d be the dad of the future king or queen. 

Branch blinked a few times, noticing it was getting hard to breath. His palms were damp and his mind went into a frenzy of words and confused thoughts, like a desperate troll in a pod on fire, blindly looking for a way out to save his life. 

It was too much responsibility. It was too much exposure. 

His lonely days would be over and that  _ wasn’t  _ a good thing. 

“I want to spend more time with you.” His voice was low and desperate and Poppy’s eyes lowered to her feet. “Just the two of us.”

“I see...” She whispered, breaking what was left from their hug and taking a step back. The disappointment was so evident in her eyes that he felt his heart breaking in a million pieces. 

“Poppy,” He tried a new approach and nervously wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Having children is a big responsibility. It’s not a Swampkin that you get from the mud and then return it when they aren’t what you expected.” She looked offended at his words, but only pressed her lips to keep from replying. “It’s a life-job! It’s a little troll with a personality and necessities. I’m not ready for that kind of commitment.” 

Commitment being the keyword. He used it with the intention of making a point, to ring a bell that they hadn’t even discussed marriage. For Branch, things were supposed to progress slowly. He wanted to savour their relationship like when he took his time making love to her all night long, unlike a quickie in a closet.

  
  


And the gut twisting feeling he had was provided by a random thought that popped in his mind: he wasn't enough for her. He was merely a tool that would give her what she really wanted. Their family wouldn’t be complete without a third part getting half of her attention. At that thought, his eyes filled up with tears and, seeing his reaction, so did hers. 

"Do you have any doubts about us?" Poppy's voice cracked in the middle of the sentence. She couldn't understand his fears. They had sung about it many times: they were made for each other. How could he overthink their relationship when she only could picture their perfect life together?

"I didn't." He was breathless and he had to get out of there before he had a panic attack in front of her. He had hurt her. It was his biggest fear. "Until now."

_ Head in my hands, cold coffee on the table _

_ Wish you the best, I would if I was able _

_ Morning light, it stings a little _

_ Out of my mind, I don't remember calling _

_ Had too much tonic wine, sometimes it does the talking _

_ Hope you know I wish you all the love you're looking for _

  
  


Poppy's face paled. She took two steps back with wobbly legs and sat heavily on her bed - the bed where they had just made love! At this point, she was wailing like a little girl, not being able to hold all the disappointment inside. She saw her dream of being a mom being snatched from her at the same time that the troll she most loved in the world seemed not to love her as much she had thought.

Branch felt incredibly guilty which didn't favor his alarmed and not entirely truthful words: "I'm sorry, Poppy…" It felt like her world was crumbling under her feet like ashes of once had been a beautiful fire. Watching her, all he could think of was to get out of there before he made things worse. 

And she lifted her head to look at him. He saw all the damage he had caused. Her beautiful magenta eyes were filled with a sadness he had never witnessed before. Branch had ripped her heart out… but then again… that's what he did, right? He was the village's grump. He destroyed every ounce of happiness. His shoulders fell. Would he ever live up to her expectations? She had put him on a pedestal, so much higher than he was comfortable with. He was just a survivalist who was still learning how to live in harmony with others. 

Maybe she'd be better on her own…

"I think I need time." His words went straight to his own heart, knowing that it was a big lie, but the traumatic life and the old habits of isolation spoke louder when he felt threatened, shutting out every possibility of a positive outcome. 

"Branch, please…" she begged with a red puffy face. He hated himself for doing it to her. "I didn't know…" How could he just throw everything they had shared in the trash like it was nothing just because she mentioned babies? 

Time was everything he needed to organize his thoughts. Not being able to see the way her lower lip trembled with her eyes on his back, trying to see any hint that he was joking, Poppy shot up. He took one step towards the door...

“Hair, no," wrapping her arms around him and burying her forehead on his shoulder from behind. “Don’t do this…” but it seemed that the more she spoke, the more he slipped away. She added up his will to go lock himself inside the bunker, when she struggled to understand his reasons. 

_ Nobody said that it would last forever _

_ That doesn't mean we didn't try to get there _

_ I never said that we would die together _

_ That doesn't mean it was a lie _

A tear ran down his face, falling on his mouth; he could taste the saltiness through gritted teeth. It was so true… he didn’t want to see it before. They were complete opposites. Their love wouldn’t be enough to spare them both from a miserable life. If they stayed together one would always have to give in so the other would be happy and he would be the weak one. She was no good for him and he was no good for her.

Branch stepped outside, hearing when Poppy’s knees gave out and she fell on the floor like there was no strength left. He couldn't turn around to help her or he might change his mind. He could never see her sad.

“Branch…” He stopped on his tracks when he noticed a different tone in her voice. Still not turning, he waited for her to finish. She sounded... void. “I won’t lie to you.” He heard her taking a shaky breath. “You’re the only troll I’ll ever love and if you ever change your mind…” Her tone waved with emotion, holding back the sobs. “... I know I’ll come crawling back to you, but…” And with a deep breath, he heard what sounded like cruel sureness. “I won’t wait for you.” She had waited for a decade for him to come out of the bunker. She couldn’t wait that long anymore.

Her words were like a stab of reality to his heart. 

He hated them as much as he hated his own. 

He didn’t want to break up but it would be wise to be apart, at least for a few weeks. Branch needed to rethink his life and to put things under perspective. He needed to digest what had just happened. They had never fought before and he understood that strong emotions wouldn’t favor the argument. 

Was he wrong to want to wait? Kids were a big step. Branch wanted to say he loved her, that it wasn’t the end, but his mind was spirilling in a confused haze.

So all he could do was to turn around and give her one last hug. He hoped that hug would say what he couldn't: that he needed to think about it, that he loved her and that he would always be there. 

The sooner he got out of her pod, the sooner he would be able to figure things out. He was only sure of one thing: 

He didn’t want a baby at the moment. 

_ They'll never take those long summer days _

_ When love was untamed _

_ Two burning hearts are dared to break, remember _

_ Nobody said that it would last forever _

That hug, in Poppy's point of view, only meant goodbye. It was like that day when they fought, when he said he cared about her more than anybody else in the world but left anyway, leaving her alone in her quest.

Guy Diamond sat down on the chair they were using to take turns to watch over Poppy. The small noise of scratching the floor made the gray girl blink a few times, leaving her turmoiled memories to see that her friend was offering a silent company. His blue eyes fixed on her with a terrified realization that if she didn’t snap out of her sadness she’d starve to death. 

Her bony shoulders were the frightening proof that she wasn’t eating. He needed to do something and desperate times called for desperate measures. When Branch took the main role in her life, everybody else fell to the background, even herself. Her fixation with perfectness made her overlook everything else that didn’t involve him. Guy, being the narcissist glitter troll he was, knew how to make her love herself again. 

“Poppy?” Guy asked, with a big cheeseburger on his hands. "The kids have been asking for you." Guy knew that her weekly story time with the kids was one of the things that she looked forward to. 

"They have?" Her raspy voice sounded like a prize he had won. Guy could glitter fart in delight, but he held himself back, still working on his strategy. 

"Yes. DJ isn't a good substitute teacher, you know." He grinned when he saw her rolling on her back, with one arm tiredly over her eyes. "They miss you."

"It all happened because of kids…" she sat up, bringing her knees up and curling in a ball while another wave of sobs hit her. Guy patted her back, trying to sooth her once more, but even if she was crying her eyes out, at least she was sitting up, which was more than what she had done the previous weeks. 

"Did Branch hurt a kid?" That was a stupid question. The survivalist wouldn't hurt a fly, despite his reputation, but Guy wanted to keep Poppy talking. His best friend needed to talk it out to get better… and to end everybody's curiosity. 

“No…” she didn’t even debate on the absurdity of his words, rocking back and forth with her hands on her face. “I told him I want a baby and he freaked out.”

Even as her best friend, Guy had to replay what she had said at least three times to understand what had happened between them. Poppy wanted a child. Everybody knew she was good with the kids, that she’d need to have a baby one day so they would have an heir. 

Poppy loved children. 

Branch  _ tolerated _ children. 

They stood at opposite ends.

And Guy held his tongue to reply they had barely been dating two years. The Pop Queen was surely rushing things and he understood why Branch got scared. Guy considered himself a living proof of how much a life could change once kids were born. He loved Tiny with all his heart, but he needed to short his party time to attend to his son. No more partying until late, he needed to be home by the time his kid got home from school. He needed to clear his pod, to change it completely to be safe for a curious baby. There was story time, nap time, food time, play time… and for Guy… almost no party time. 

“Look… I’m sure he is just scared.” Guy offered some comfort, giving her a hug in which she melted into. “Give him time to vent this banter away and I’m sure he will come around. Perhaps in a couple of years you guys can have that conversation again.”

“There won’t be a couple of years.” She wiped the tears from her face with a hand that was getting a faded tone of pink. Guy smiled at the small energy that was coming back to her. “Branch meant that breakup.” 

The cheeseburger was offered again and this time, she took it, having a small bite that earned a happy mental victory dance for Guy. 

“He’ll come around, Poppy. He’s head over heels in love with you.” He grinned. “I bet my shiny glitter he had always been.” The small nudge made her lips curl in a discreet smile and her pink grow stronger. 

“Well, I said I’m not waiting anymore.” Poppy took a bigger bite. The kids needed her. And she needed a baby. She really wanted a family. 

“What do you mean? Do you want to meet someone new?” Shocked couldn’t live up to the huge surprise Guy had when hearing her words. Not waiting for Branch? That wasn’t what he expected from the endless positive Queen. He would have expected singing, perhaps a plan that included a lot of glitter and love declarations to make Branch see how much they were meant for each other. He didn’t expect her to simply move on!

“Oh Hair, I don’t know if I could ever love again.” She finished the cheeseburger with a sad smile, accepting that maybe she wasn’t ever going to get married. “But I can have a baby.”

“What?” Guy wasn’t understanding her point. Well, actually, he was, but he refused to believe it. 

“You’ve done it solo. I could too.” She pointed out. 

“Okay, look.” Guy sat down next to her and offered a hug that she quickly accepted. “If you want to be a mom so badly then first you need to get back on your feet.” He pointed out and he didn’t need to pick up a mirror to show her the dark circles around her eyes. “I want to see you partying again. Our future queen or king will need a proper happy education.”

“Okay…” She rolled her eyes, giving him a glimpse of the old Poppy. “You got me there.”

“I’m running you bubble bath, Poppy!” Guy stood up and disappeared inside her bathroom. The sound of water running soon filled the pink pod, making her smile for the first time since it all happened. Her face hurt, it was like she had frozen in a scowl. 

Sighing, Poppy could only think that perhaps, with a baby, she could manage her life without Branch. It was going to hurt to see him again and she knew she couldn’t avoid eventually crossing paths with him, but then… with her love being dedicated to a small bundle of joy, she could be distracted enough to return to polite friendship with him. 

She needed to make an appointment with Dr. Moonbloom. 


	2. Walking back into her Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention last chapter that this story is inspired by an erotic book I read about ten years ago. Unfortunately I can't remember the title! With that said, be warned that this chapter has a NSFW scene that is in between the XX-XX.

Branch had no idea how much time had passed since he locked himself up. Based on his rations, probably a month or two, but he had been barely eating as frequently as before, so that could be a misleading way to measure. 

His friends had constantly been knocking on his trapdoor to check if he was okay. He even had to put the bunker back on full lockdown to have a little peace and quiet. It did work and, after a few weeks, silence was blissfully accomplished. 

Branch knew what had happened. He had had a nervous breakdown. It had happened many years before and, since he had rejoined society, he had really thought those episodes were over. 

He had thought his relationship with Poppy had cured him of all bad things. 

As his wild emotions eventually calmed down, Branch realized he had been harsh. He had said things that weren’t true. He even compared children to swampkins. He had been in panic and he said the first thing that came to his mind to get out of Poppy’s pod as quickly as possible.

The resistance concerning children was still there, though. He didn’t know if he was cut to be a dad. He had many issues to go through first. Branch feared it was like when he tried to move out of the bunker. He really wanted to, he tried hard to, but in the end he returned to his old home. Only, with children, he couldn’t lock himself up if he changed his mind. 

The day they had the argument, Branch had good points, but he didn’t say them to Poppy. In his smoked up brain, all he could say was that he needed time. Perhaps if the right words had been spoken then she’d understand and agree to postpone having children. 

But then… he hadn’t given her a chance to answer.

It was her dream to be a mom and when he thought about it like it was something she really wanted, it didn’t sound as terrifying. Branch saw her countless times playing with children, teaching them and all those times she was wishing for one of her own.

So, on a warm morning, he unlocked the bunker and stepped out, ready to find her and say how sorry he was for overreacting. But things weren’t going to be as easy as he had thought. He realized that the moment he saw Smidge dozing off on a stretch chair in front of his door. 

“What are you doing here?” He asked, causing the small yellow troll to jump up in surprise. 

“Oh, Hair, Branch, you came out!” She seemed incredibly surprised, which amused him. 

“Well, eventually I had to, but I didn’t know you were here waiting.” He stepped out, dusting his clothes and going straight to his plantation to check if his vegetables were good to be picked. 

“Eventually?” Smidge blinked a couple of times, following him and keeping her fury in check. She was cracking her knuckles to teach him a lesson when she noticed he stopped walking abruptly, looking at his garden. Branch kneeled down and picked up a rotten cabbage in confusion. 

“Smidge…? How long have I locked myself?” His voice sounded frightened. 

“For hair’s sake Branch! You’ve been in there for six months!” She was going to smack his head, her fists were dying to beat him, but the way his face paled made Smidge stop all the speech about emotional responsibility that she had been rehearsing. “You… didn’t know?”

“Oh frosting…” He cursed, feeling his heart racing with Poppy’s last words ringing in his ears; she wasn’t going to wait for him! Six months were long enough for her to give up on him and move on! He looked at the direction he used to go to her pod and Smidge stopped him with a hand on his back. 

“Look, Branch… do you mind if we share a few words before you go find Poppy?”

Reluctantly, he nodded. 

***

His coffee was spilling all over his table, but he couldn’t control his shaky hands. Branch could barely believe Smidge’s words when he heard them. Poppy had gone through hell waiting for him. His eyes filled with tears when he imagined her laying gray in her bed, thinking he had abandoned her. 

He imagined things the worst way possible: her skinny figure, her dark pod, her tears and the panicked village outside. Even her dad wasn’t able to cheer her up and he had to call an emergency committee to substitute the Queen if she was unable to rule. 

“I can’t believe it…” he said in a wavering voice,"I never meant to break up with her. I just wanted time to think." Smidge looked at him nervously and he felt his stomach dropping one more time. “Don’t tell me there’s more…”

“Well… she wanted a baby…” and the lost look Branch gave her almost made the smaller troll give up talking, so she said only the essential so he could be prepared to face the consequences of his actions. “... there’s a party tonight and she’s going to announce… an heir.” 

Branch felt like the ground had opened under his feet. His world crumbled.

Poppy didn’t wait for him. Just like she had said. 

A wave of sobs raised to his throat and he couldn’t help but come completely undone in front of Smidge. His mind tortured him with thoughts of her pink lips being claimed by someone else. Some other troll had run his hands over her body like he used to. They had… oh hair… he couldn’t take it.

He had lost the love of his life!

***

That night Smidge had tried talking Guy out of his plan. The party was his idea. He even made an extra effort so the lights were red and dark, giving it a rockish vibe so people would act… ‘reckless’, as Poppy had said to impress Val once. A little unsafe partying was everything Guy needed to get Poppy and Branch back together and, like good and old drama, jealousy wouldn’t fail. 

The problem was that Smidge didn’t have the time to explain to Guy how badly things had gone for Branch as well. Without noticing the time lapse, he had missed Poppy slowly getting back on feet, getting meat back on her bones, a real smile back on her lips and all the appointments and exams she had been through to start the artificial insemination process. She was bursting with hormones and having really bad mood swings. 

It wasn’t a good day to play matchmaker. 

Branch had decided to use that party to apologize, even if he never got to date her again, he just wanted Poppy to know he’d be there for her, to support her decision and he would play the best friend part, not stepping over the boundaries of her new relationship. 

It was the most grown up decision he could make. It would hurt like hell, but he could take it, after all… he was used to the pain. 

He had dressed his best, even if his pride was spilled on the floor, he wanted to offer her a bright best friend, perhaps he could even get a hug.The party was already going on when he stepped inside Hard Rock Hollow. It took him so long to get the courage to just walk inside that he missed the opening speech. 

When he spotted Poppy, she was sitting down at the bar, with an orange juice in her hands (confirming that she wasn’t drinking anything alcoholic), but her attention was taken by a rock troll who was clearly drunk while talking ridiculously close to her. 

Cupcakes… was that the father? Branch thought with bitter jealousy.

She took a step back, looking sparklingly beautiful in a blue cocktail dress. Branch had to rub his eyes to believe it was really her. Her smile held the kind of soothing contentment that only a person who was living her life's purpose could archive. Her glitter freckles brightened up at each blink of those long eyelashes. 

How could he let that girl go?

Branch felt his will to go to Poppy and apologize fading away. He sat on the opposite corner of the bar, in the shadows, watching her. The rock troll could be considered a handsome guy; Branch could say it from watching how the ladies sighed dreamily at him in the background. Poppy… on the other hand… seemed to be getting angry and tired of him. He noticed how she tried walking away a few times, but the rock troll held her back by her arm.

That enraged Branch beyond words. 

It also made him feel relieved. She didn’t like that guy so he wasn’t her boyfriend. The rock troll wasn’t the father. When Poppy lifted her hand to shake the rock troll's in a diplomatic goodbye, his eyes went straight to her chest. The rock troll also seemed to be fascinated with her thighs and even tried to touch them, just to be shoved off. 

Branch’s blood boiled watching it. Their friends were too busy partying, dancing and drinking to see that Poppy was in trouble. He got ready to act in case he needed, but apparently the Pop Queen could take care of herself. She stood up abruptly and Branch could see that guy’s hands had been under her skirt. 

Poppy looked furious, restraining herself from going Hair Jitsu and ruining the party. She walked straight to Guy Diamond, who was in a drinking contest with Smidge, and said a few things that made him look questionably at her. Then she turned around and stormed out of Hard Rock Hollow. 

Branch sighed and thought about getting a drink or two to get the courage to go after her, but that rocker didn’t seem to give up and soon followed the pink queen outside. The survivalist had to run after them. 

With great surprise, Branch watched Poppy taking a different path from the one to her pod. Between bushes and leaves, to a secluded part of the forest, in a safe and quiet distance from the Village, was a mushroom with a pink door and heart shaped windows. 

She had moved!

It was only logical that she’d want a quiet place to raise her child and a mushroom was a safe place for a baby to crawl and explore without falling off the tree. 

Time of wandering thoughts were shorted by the rocker getting his hand on the door and stopping her from closing it on his face and forcing his way inside. Branch’s rage blinded him then. He stumbled on the way into her home, almost breaking the door when he violently spun it open. 

The vague reminder of Poppy squirming under that troll while he pinned her down haunted his nightmares for days. 

Gripping the drunk rocker by his collar, Branch sent him flying backwards to crash on the wall. Poppy screamed in fright and ran in the opposite direction, only to trip on her carpeted floor and fall over her coffee table, breaking it in half. Her eyes were wide, with air knocked out of her lungs. Branch noticed a bleeding lip. 

Whatever came over him had the nasty results that was called for. A broken nose, a sprained foot and several bruises later, the drunk’s friends finally arrived to save him from the survivalist's rage. They had rolled over Poppy’s flowers, ruining her garden outside. Branch only watched when the gang of rockers climbed on their critter bikes and vanished into the night. 

“Don’t you dare come near her again!” Branch shouted, turning around to walk back inside to check on Poppy.

He stopped as soon as he saw the door. 

She was holding herself up by the doorframe. Her left hand was down, looking terribly swollen and blood dripped on the floor from her perfectly pink lips, running down on her chin and staining her beautiful dress. He had never seen her so angry before. Branch opened his mouth to say something - anything - but she shut the door on his nose. 

“Poppy, you need to go to the hospital!” He yelled through the door, slamming it desperately, instead of politely knocking. 

But she didn’t answer. Branch was too angry. All the frustration from the previous months culminated in that violent act that he wasn’t used to. It felt good to have the opportunity to let it out on someone who deserved it, but Poppy would never approve his actions. Looking down at his hands, he saw they were covered in blood. He had beat that guy too hard for his own good.

A shower to cool down was the best solution he could think of and so, Branch walked back to the bunker, after sitting down in front of her door for about an hour. He missed that, as soon as he vanished from sight, Poppy limped out, going straight to the hospital by herself. 

  
  


***

Branch woke up next morning after barely getting any sleep. He baked strawberry cupcakes and fixed green tea, remembering how the combination of flavors would make Poppy’s eyes sparkle. He walked straight to her mushroom, with his mind set on fixing her flowers and apologizing for everything. 

His determination faltered a little when she opened the door and he saw her left wrist in a white cast, throwing in his face that she didn’t want him to walk her to the hospital the night before. She looked tired and had a robe over her nightgown, meaning she was just going to bed. 

“I could have taken you there.” Branch said, feeling his stomach turning into a familiar guilty knot. He held the cupcake and the tea up and the sight of them made Poppy sigh and give him permission to get inside her new home. “Two spoons of sugar, like always.” He placed the teacup in her good hand and sat down on the pink couch, next to her. 

“I’m taking sweetener now.” Poppy said quietly, looking down at the tea she wasn’t going to drink. Branch, smartly, refrained himself from commenting how skinny she looked, that if she was on a diet it was ridiculous. 

It was odd, sitting in front of the girl he loved with all his heart knowing that she belonged to another. He wondered where that troll was the night before that he wasn’t there beating that rocker instead of Branch. The silence between them was so thick it could be cut with a knife. 

“Poppy… I need to apologize,” Branch felt as his raspy breath involuntarily breaking in parts. He swallowed hard, praying he wouldn’t make a fool of himself in front of her. Silently, she looked down, stroking her protected sprained wrist while waiting for what he had to say. “I didn’t mean… to disappear on you.” 

“Branch, it’s okay. Really.” She shot up, wiping a tear that stubbornly pooled on the corner of her eyes, even if she forced herself to chill and smile. “I understand I smothered you.”

“I blew things out of proportion,” Branch quickly replied, “I should have talked to you and not… ran off.” 

“I was asking too much of you," Poppy opened the fridge, arranging things so she could place the cupcakes inside. Sadly, Branch noticed she wasn’t going to eat them. “I’m sorry for that.”

“Poppy, you’re not the one who should apologize,” how frustrating could it be to say sorry when the other part was also feeling guilty? “I don’t know what to say to make you forgive me,” Poppy had her face inside the fridge and visibly went stiff when he said that. His hands looked awfully out of place anywhere he put them. 

“Branch…” she whispered, finally giving up on holding her tears and cursing the hormones mentally. “I accept your apology and I can be on friendly terms with you again, but…” it felt like she was preparing the most difficult words she had ever said and Branch lowered his eyes to the floor, “... you were gone for six months!” 

Poppy had concentrated all her efforts in managing her kingdom, preparing everything for when her baby came and she was going to get the procedure in a few days. Dr. Moonbloom had explained that her emotions could affect the fertility process so it was the worst timing ever for Branch to walk back into her life. She had successfully sealed her feelings for him inside a box and she wasn’t ready to open it now. 

Branch looked hurt. He didn’t say anything, but he stood up and gave her a small and humourless smile. It looked like he wanted to be hugged, but instead, he turned and left, going straight to the bunker to recollect his thoughts. 

And Poppy felt awful watching him go away. She wanted his friendship more than anything else in the world. Actually, she wanted to be back in his arms as a girlfriend. Should she give him a second chance after she had to say goodbye to the only troll she ever wanted to spend her life with? He had broken her heart… 

… but she still loved him with every shiny piece. 

It was the worst time to pick things up from where they had left and she had to explain that she would love to welcome him back into her life with open arms… but she wasn’t giving up on her baby. 

With that settled, Poppy decided to return his favor, so she baked the chocolate cookies he loved and dashed towards the bunker a couple of hours later, looking refreshed and radiant with the news she had to share with him. 

His password was still her name. 

“Branch?” she called from the elevator, making him hear that she was invading his home. It didn’t feel like invasion before, the homey feeling still lingered when she felt the familiar cold air meeting her skin. She had been there so many times and she even called it ‘home’ for a while. Before she realized he wasn’t comfortable sharing his place with her 24-7 and, after weeks living with him, she returned to her pod.

Poppy noticed something was wrong when she stumbled on an empty bottle of vodka. The stench of liquor made her stomach churn, but courageously, she walked inside the lounge room, placing the cookies on the coffee table so she could have her good hand free.

Branch was sitting down in the kitchen, with a whiskey bottle in front of him and she noticed, relieved, that he hadn’t opened it, yet. His messy hair and the missing leaf vest were proof enough for her to tell that he was beyond drunk. 

“Hair, Branch…” she said quietly, walking over to him and placing a hand on his bare back. Her touch made him hum. “I can’t say I approve this new drinking habit.” 

“It’s… not… habit,” he said those words with a big effort, rolling his tongue several times to get them out right. “Just did it… now.”

“Fine.” She sighed, straightening her back and grabbing a jar full of water and placing the whiskey away from him. He had buried his face in his hands so he didn’t protest. She also grabbed the cookies and placed all of them in front of him. “Eat and drink, please. I really want to talk to you and I need you to remember it.”

Branch obediently picked up a cookie and tastelessly chewed, watching as she busied herself around his kitchen, cleaning the trash, doing the dishes and removing rotten leftovers from his fridge. With a pained look, he noticed she was taking care of him, even with a hurt wrist. 

“I don’t deserve you,” he lowered his voice. Poppy curiously stopped what she was doing and returned to his side, sitting down with a half laugh. “Nobody does, really. You’re too good for anyone out there.” She gave him a sympathetic smile, deciding that it was better not to reply. “And you’re so beautiful.”

“You should eat.” 

“I’m not hungry…” he looked at her mouth. She was nervously biting her lower lip and he remembered how much he loved when she did that when they were close to climaxing together. He had missed her so much… “not for food anyway.”

Before Poppy could fully understand what was going on, he pulled her in a tight hug. Her eyes widened when the unmistakable feeling of his male body molding against hers sent all the cells of her body in a happy and familiar frenzy. It was like opening the door of her home for the first time after a long journey. 

He kissed her shoulder, going up to her neck, caressing her up and down with the delicious massage she had craved for half a year. All the resistance she had was slowly turning into shreds under his caress and kisses. It wasn’t fair… she loved him so much and she couldn’t avoid melting into him. 

“I blew all my chances, didn’t I?” his kisses were spiked with saltiness from the tears that they both were shedding. They had been craving for each other.

“Hair, Branch…” she gasped, feeling him biting down her neck while zipping down her dress. “... I said I would come back on my knees whenever you changed your mind.” He picked her up and sat her down on the table, knocking the plate of cookies to the floor. 

**XX-XX**

“I missed you so much.” He quickly covered her mouth with his, tasting her heavenly flavor. He was home. He was in Poppy’s arms. 

Hormones made her crazy about him, so she didn’t protest when he barely took down his pants and she quickly removed her underwear. He was inside her in a blink of an eye, pushing and making her moan out his name. She sent chills down his spine when she grabbed handfuls of his hair to help him move. He was so drunk he wasn’t getting the rhythm she liked, so she helped him, wrapping her legs around him. 

His eyes were on the ceiling, his mind got cloudy and he had the feeling he was going to pass out, but he couldn’t stop moving against the sweet female in front of him. His head was yanked forward and his lips were quickly covered with her desperate tongue invading his mouth. 

“I love you, Branch,” she screamed out, clenching around him so tightly that he couldn’t help but have his turn to climax. “Don’t you dare walk out of my life,” he heard her saying, sobbing on his shoulder. A wave of weakness couldn’t be avoided. “You are my life, Branch.”

**XX-XX**

  
  


But before he could mumble any word in response, his knees gave out and he slipped through her arms to fall down, unconscious, on the floor. 

***

Poppy paced around her mushroom for two hours. What - the hair - had she done? Branch had just gathered his courage to talk to her and she practically threw herself on him. 

She was not going to panic. 

She was unbelievably fertile because of the treatment, but that wasn’t one hundred percent sure that she was going to get pregnant, right? Dr. Moonbloom mentioned it could fail… and he was drunk, it was possible that he hadn’t… everything… inside her? 

Branch didn’t want children! How could she not be careful? It was ridiculously dishonest of her to spread her legs without telling him about the risks. 

She couldn’t have him walking out of her life again, so, in panic, she cleaned his bunker, cleaned him and pulled his pants back up. She sat him down on the table and placed the empty bottle in front of him, so he would have a clue of what had happened when he woke up.

The cookies were thrown in the trash, the dish was in the cupboard and everything else looked exactly the same as when she had walked in. Hopefully he wouldn’t remember, and she wasn’t going to tell him.

She looked down at her belly, worriedly.

Oh, cupcakes, perhaps it was time to pray.


	3. Bun in the Oven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Morning everyone! In case you haven’t noticed, yet, trolls don’t come out of eggs in this story… well… actually, some of them do because I consider Tiny’s birth exactly how it happened in the movie… Anyway, I decided to mix up pregnancies and eggs in one story simply because… well, it is a pregnancy story in a world where there are creatures that poop cupcakes so, in my twisted mind I sort of imagine it is possible. LOL.
> 
> With that said, be prepared to read about periods and all the stuff that comes with it. 
> 
> Oh and don’t forget the angst, so prepare for the DRAMA *strikes Guy Diamond’s pose*

Branch had woken up with a terrible headache and almost no memory of what had happened after he took the first gulp of vodka the previous day. He had no idea how he ended up in the kitchen, but he had a good sensation. Relieved. Nervously, he looked around, recognizing that he felt like that when he had made love to Poppy. 

The bunker was completely empty. She wasn’t in the lounge room, bathroom or his bedroom. His foggy mind vaguely recalled a warm body and arms around him but there was no evidence that she had been there. 

It was ridiculous, Branch thought. He had missed her so much that he was even dreaming about the time when they were together. It was such a good dream that he felt flipping happy for the first time in months. 

The bunker needed to be cleaned. Yep… that’s what he was going to do. Branch was going to completely change the gloomy air. 

After all, it wasn’t all helpless. Poppy had welcomed him back in her life. She said she could be on friendly terms with him. It wasn’t the love declaration he was expecting and he let his frustration out in the drinking, but he knew they were friends again. It was just a matter of time until he proved he was trustworthy they were on each other’s arms.

“Don’t rush this, Branch. Go slow…” he whispered to himself.

Branch had just put the trash out when he saw her walking towards the bunker, holding a plate of cookies with her good hand. His heart soared at the sight and he welcomed her with his brightest smile. To his surprise she wrapped her arms around him, soothing his soul. It was a side-effect her hugs had on him. 

“I baked these as an apology,” she said, placing the plate on his hands. 

“Hair, Poppy…” Branch decided to test the boundaries of their new friendship and kissed her cheek, which made her blush. “I missed you like crazy.”

“So… we forgive each other, right?” she asked quietly, following him down the bunker where he intended on eating those marvelous cookies with her. 

“Are you kidding? After these? It’s the best apology ever!” he joked, picking up one cookie and stuffing it in his mouth. Poppy giggled and followed him, quickly checking if everything was still in order once they entered the kitchen. 

Branch noticed her nervous look and, - clueless to what had really happened - he thought she was apprehensive about their current situation. They hadn’t talked about the elephant in the room. “Hey…” he picked up her hands. “I'm okay with your new boyfriend. I won’t come in between you.”

“Boyfriend?” Poppy blinked in confusion a few times, wondering how Branch had come up with the idea that she was taken. “I’m not dating anyone.”

“No?” it was Branch’s turn to arch an eyebrow. “But…” Smidge had said she was pregnant. The party was to announce an heir. What was going on? 

“Branch, I said I wouldn’t wait, but it didn’t mean I would jump on the first troll I crossed paths with,” and grinning her most beautiful of smiles, she joked. “I’m very picky.” 

With hopes going sky high, they shared the cookies, talking about the village, about the new arrangement between the leaders and how she figured that living in a mushroom would provide some peace and quiet. She had spent too much time with Branch and she had started enjoying a few quiet moments. 

The survivalist wouldn’t stop pulling her into hugs. It was the best day of his life and he was going to conquer her heart back. She was going to fall for him all over again. For his part, he had never stopped loving her. 

***

“Hey, Poppy, I’m feeling lonely and thought we could share a pizza,” Branch used his keys and opened the front door, walking into her home like it was his own. He was incredibly happy when he was given that key and that kind of intimacy back. “Poppy?”

When she didn’t answer him, he turned around and checked the hook behind the door where she kept her crown. The royal tiara was there, meaning she was home. Shrugging, he decided to explore. He hadn’t been in the entire mushroom before. Unlike her pod, it was divided in social and private areas and he had never ventured into the private area.

Branch hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should walk into her bedroom, but he brushed the worry away because he was going to be her significant other again, meaning he was going to get into her room. And it was going to be soon. 

Her bedroom was empty and Branch turned around to leave and look somewhere else, but he caught a glimpse of her clothes on the floor, along with several bottles of cosmetics he didn’t know she used. Calling her again, he swung open the door of her suite, to find her dozing off in the bathtub with soft music on the background and lots of bubbles completely covering the surface. 

He would blow up his bunker to join her in there, if he had to. 

Branch considered going back to the lounge room and eating the pizza by himself, but his safety protocols included not allowing the queen to drown. Even if he got slapped for it, it was his duty to save her. 

Kneeling down next to her, he softly brushed her bangs out of her face. 

“Poppy…?” he chuckled when she didn’t move, being the heavy-sleeper he was used to, so he tried again, this time, caressing her cheeks with the back of his thumb. Her magenta eyes cutely fluttered open and a yawn quickly followed. “Hello there.”

“Branch?” she rubbed her eyes in confusion, “What are you doing here?” her sleepy mind tried to recollect if she had made plans with him. 

“I was feeling lonely,” he stood up, noticing that she was stretching and her chest came partially visible. She wasn’t being modest in front of him, which, in his male brain, only indicated that he was getting back in the boyfriend zone. “So, I brought pizza and wondered if we could watch a movie together.” 

“Hm… sounds nice.” Poppy smiled, but didn’t say anything else. He stared at her for a while until he understood that she wanted privacy to get out of the water. His indiscretion caused both to blush. 

“Right. I’ll settle everything. Join me when you’re done, will you?” and he quickly left, leaving Poppy to giggle quietly at his awkwardness. 

The giggles faded and she left the bathroom in a bathrobe. Looking for a thermometer, she checked her temperature. She had felt faint and had chills the whole day, so she thought she was coming down with a cold. 

Oh well, at least, no fever. 

Poppy didn’t even bother changing. Her stomach growled when she smelled her favorite pizza and quickly followed the aroma only to find that Branch had just placed a slice on a plate for her. He let one olive roll on the table when he looked at her. That bathrobe was pretty inviting and he remembered when she used to emerge from his bathroom in the bunker looking exactly like that after they had spent the previous hours having fun. 

Branch wanted to say something about it. He considered playing with the situation to see if he could push his luck. She bounced happily to the cupboard and got two glasses only to drop them a second later. 

“Clumsy as alw-Poppy!” she curled against the sink, holding her stomach with eyes tightly shut. She had gone incredibly pale and Branch hurried to her side, lifting her face with his hands to see her closely. His worry increased when her knees buckled and she almost fell on the floor over the shattered glass.

Branch didn’t think twice before scooping her up and laying her down on the couch. 

“I’m getting your clothes and I’m taking you straight to the hospital,” he said, standing up, ready to find his way through her closet. 

“I just need to eat, Branch. Jeez…” she sat up, looking annoyed at his excess of worry. “Perhaps I should get some sleep, too.” 

“You just woke up!” he pointed out, obviously scared. Her thin arms seemed to stand out when she pulled the sleeves up to fan herself. It was when it hit him what it was. “You’re not eating!”

“Of course, I am,” she giggled, looking up at him. 

“It’s not funny!” Branch felt insulted. 

“I just might need some painkillers,” she explained, looking flustered and avoiding his eyes. She needed to tell him about the treatment to get pregnant. “I stopped taking birth control when we… broke up,” his hard lines softened up, hearing the bitter subject ringing a bell. She swallowed, still not meeting his eyes. “And I’ve been having some disturbing side effects during my period since then.”

“Oh…” awkwardly, he was already halfway inside the bedroom when he felt the question rising. If she was looking for someone or waiting for him, she wouldn’t have stopped taking those pills, unless indeed, she was going for a baby. Her bathroom was filled with medicine boxes. He recognized the painkillers, but others had weird names on them like ‘folic acid’ and multivitamins of all colors. “Here,” he returned, placing a pill and a cup of water in front of her. He watched her suspiciously while she swallowed it down gratefully. “Why did you stop taking them?” he blurted out. 

“We should eat before the pizza gets cold,” she stood up quickly, completely ignoring his question. Her pink fingers reached for the plate when she felt his hand gently cupping her chin, making her look into his stern blue eyes. 

“Answer me.”

"I had to stop taking them because... I..." she pushed his hand away and looked at the floor. "I applied for an artificial insemination program." 

“You what?!” Branch snapped, eyes wide as saucers. Poppy bit her lower lip and sat down, looking guiltier than ever. “Hair, Poppy, are you insane?”

“Maybe I am…” she replied quietly. That argument that made them break up flashed in front of her like a neon sign. Seeing her, Branch lowered his voice, not realizing his outburst was taken the wrong way, again. 

“You shouldn’t have a stranger’s child…” he sat down next to her, feeling his hands starting to shake. 

“It’s not like I have a choice,” she sniffled and lifted her eyes to see him. His heart broke at the sight of tears that were swimming in them. “I really want this baby… and I really want you, too. But I understand if you choose to walk away. I just wish… you would stay.”

Her words opened a hole in his stomach. The consequences of his actions were even worse than he had first thought. Poppy really wanted a baby, no matter where it came from. He could have been the one to give it to her, but his temporary insanity - as he started calling it - had gone and destroyed it. 

“Are you…?” he couldn’t say the word, which caused her to laugh as tears spilled. Hair… those mood swings were bad. 

“Not yet, no,” she grabbed his hands, feeling him relax under her touch. Her answer was the greatest relief he had that night. It gave him hope and time to consider offering her what she wished for. Branch would have to live with a child anyway, as long as he wanted to keep Poppy as a friend...and, hopefully, as a girlfriend. There was no way he could be apart from her.

Poppy really thought she wasn’t pregnant. She hadn’t gone to Dr. Moonbloom, yet and she had a small bleeding that morning, meaning her period was normal. 

**XX-XX**

Branch hugged her, almost bringing her to sit on his lap. He felt so lightheaded that he couldn’t help, but bury his nose in her neck and breath her strawberry perfume. His mind flashed the feeling of her naked body against his, her honey lips were kissing him while they moved against each other on his kitchen table. 

**XX-XX**

They had never done it on his kitchen table. Branch distanced himself, looking at her suspiciously. It wasn’t possible - he shook the daydream away. He was just imagining things. 

They smiled at each other, happy to come to terms that there wouldn’t be more arguments about her decisions. He gave her a slice of pizza and picked his own plate. They ate while watching a movie about a girl who had fallen in love with her best friend and started a ‘friends with benefits’ relationship. 

Crappy, but it made her smile. Branch didn’t even protest when she leaned back, placing her feet on his lap. He instinctively gave her a foot massage. They watched the movie quietly, neither paying much attention to it. 

***

A week later, Poppy was alone in her house after piling up work for two days. The wave of sickness hadn’t passed and she missed Branch. Her best friend had taken over a few queenly duties so she could rest, which included a visit to Trollzart to discuss how the delegates were behaving in their new home. 

She felt weak and tired. Nothing but crackers and tea would stay in her stomach and she could already see Branch’s angry face when he walked in to see she had lost even more weight. So, as soon as he left for SymphonyVille, she went to Dr. Moonbloom who couldn’t be more surprised. 

“Looks like you won’t need artificial insemination now,” the doctor had said and Poppy flustered. She mentioned the bleeding the week before, but apparently it was completely normal. 

Poppy was six weeks pregnant. 

It was shocking, but very pleasant news. Oh Hair… it was Branch’s baby! 

Happiness rapidly crawled its way to her chest, making it hard for her to breath. Could she burst into tiny sparkling glitter? Because she surely would! She looked down at her flat tummy, not believing that she actually got what she wished for. Would she be too lovey-dovey if she placed her hands there? In front of the doctor? Oh dear… she was crying happy tears… 

“We’re running some tests. Should I wait for the father for the first ultrasound?” the doctor briskly prescribed the usual recommendations and instructed Poppy to have a blood test on the following day. 

“There… isn’t a father,” Poppy said quietly, still looking down. Doctor Moonbloom stopped writing and adjusted her glasses on her nose, staring at Poppy with an awfully long pause. “Wild night… ehehe…. Oops?” 

There was no way she’d drop a baby on Branch’s lap after he had broken up with her because of it. It wasn’t right or fair for her to force him into a situation just because she wasn’t careful. And there was no way she’d ever tell him what they did in his kitchen. They were on friendly terms, and that was all she was going to get from him after announcing her pregnancy. She’d have to settle for it. 

“Are you having morning sickness?” the wise doctor changed the uncomfortable subject before the queen said things she’d regret. 

“I’ve been feeling sick all day.” Poppy whined, leaning back on the chair. 

“It usually passes on the twelfth week. You should have someone to help you until then.”

“I can take care of myself,” the young queen replied in a fiery determination. But it was the kind of determination she couldn’t maintain. As soon as she stepped inside her mushroom that afternoon, she dropped on her couch, feeling an extreme fatigue taking over her body and the weight of a beautiful secret hunching her back. 

***

Poppy was dying for sour food. The mix of lemons, vinegar and salt made her mouth water. It was the kind of sauce that could agree with her stomach so she poured it down on everything she wanted to eat. She even tried it with sushi and it actually tasted good!

She felt so ridiculously happy and satisfied that instead of working, she stopped at every baby shop, getting everything she needed to decorate the baby’s room. Poppy hadn’t shared the news with anybody, but she knew the owner of the shop would buzz a rumor here and there. They were all expecting an heir, after all, she had announced she was going to give it a try.

The crib was lovely. White, soft and perfect. The grid was made out of ivory colored hair and had cushions inside. Poppy bought pillows and blankets. She built up a small library with children's books in front of the armchair, on the other side of the room, between the wardrobe and the crib. The nursing chair was very comfortable for when she had to sit down next to the baby, reading stories and pampering him until he or she fell asleep.

The wardrobe was already half full by the end of the week. The mobile was musical and had seven colorful butterflies on it. 

Friday night, after a long hot shower, she sat down on the armchair in the baby's room and opened a book about nursing and read until she drifted off to sleep with the soothing sound of the rain outside.

Hours later, her front door burst open with an annoyed Branch walking inside, completely drenched, with a frowny face and thundering steps. Poppy was supposed to meet him at Classical Crest after he returned from Symphony Ville for a formal review. She was the Queen in charge of Trollstopia and SHE was the one to give the speech. 

They were supposed to meet there by the third Hug Time (or Bow Time) after lunch so he could explain with meticulous details everything he had to report from Trollzart. It ended that she didn’t show up, he was the one who told Dante all the suggestions to harmonize the tribes and rain caught Branch just when he was leaving to find her. 

He had to social interact for two days straight, meaning he didn’t get enough isolation; the speech was a mess and he was cranky and wet. Poppy was going to have an earful for that one. Branch had prepared for gentle, but energetic warnings about responsibilities and words like ‘reckless’ ‘lazy’ ‘infuriating’ were completely censored as soon as he spotted her bedroom. 

There were several bottles of vitamins everywhere, shopping bags were all over the floor, unwrapped. He checked the bathroom and she wasn’t there either. The frown turned into a concerned line when he tried the last door left to be opened. The spare room was just next to hers and Branch realized his palms were sweaty when he turned the door handle. 

His breath was taken away by the sight. His knees almost gave out and he held himself up with the threshold. The room was decorated in soft yellow and gray tones. The wardrobe was small and had tiny heart shaped handles. Plush toys were arranged around soft and colorful foam tiles on the floor. A crib was beautifully placed in the middle of the room and a nursing armchair was just next to it. 

Sitting there, Poppy was asleep, with a book on her lap. Branch inched closer and read the title: _Your Pregnancy: Week by week._

Oh… frosting…

She opened her eyes, still confused from sleep and she wasn’t prepared to see him standing so close. She gasped in surprise and Branch alarmingly noticed that her hand went to her belly instead of her heart. 

“Hair, Branch, you scared me!” she yelled, pushing him away so she could stand up and get room to breathe. And then, she realized what had happened. “Oh, cupcakes. The speech! I stood you up!”

“Yeah…” Branch shrugged, suddenly not feeling angry anymore, instead, he felt anguished and desperate to hug her. “But never mind that,” he bent down and picked the book she had dropped on the floor, raising it so she had no escape. “I want to know what this is?”

“Hm… well…” Poppy nervously looked at the ceiling, avoiding his impassive blue eyes. It didn’t help one bit that he was deliriously handsome. "I'm going to be a mom," she finally said, quietly, but he recognized the excitement in her eyes. Like she had said, even if he didn't support her on this, she was going to go through it by herself.

“You went to doctor Moonbloom,” his voice came out quietly. It wasn’t a question and he was careful enough to sound completely void of emotions, nor good or bad. 

"No," she shook her head quickly, walking near him before he got the wrong idea. "I'm already six weeks pregnant. I didn't go there." 

Branch did the math. Six weeks ago, he was just coming out of the bunker after months of isolation. She had been with someone else at that time. His heart squeezed with jealousy. 

“I thought you said you weren’t dating…” he looked hurt, his eyes were fixed on a corner on the floor. 

“I’m not.” Poppy took his hands, saying it as warmly as she could. “It was a onetime thing.”

"Does he know about it?" Branch asked quietly, holding her around her shoulders as carefully as he could. He felt something familiar to disappointment ripping him from inside when he thought about his Poppy going for a fling.

"Yes," she nodded, after hesitating a minute.

“Will he marry you?” Branch was an old-fashioned troll after all, Poppy held the urge to roll her eyes. But he was so scared that he couldn’t help but pull her towards him in a tight hug. Her shoulder was the best place to hide his panicking tears and his red puffy eyes. 

“No…” Poppy sounded amused by his actions, but wrapped her arms around him anyway. “He doesn’t seem to want a family,” his hands tightened on her robe and she could feel him shaking. 

“I’ll talk to him…” Branch was talking deep controlled breaths. His mind twisted with his worst fears coming true. She didn’t wait. She had been with someone else. She was pregnant. He would have to settle for the caring best friend part. 

“I don’t want to force anyone into marriage, Branch…” her voice was cheerful again and the survivalist took the opportunity to break their hug and quickly go to the kitchen before she realized he was on the verge of tears. He opened her fridge and stuck his head inside, looking for a juice can, chips or anything that would take a long time to eat. 

“He has a responsibility, Poppy,” Branch said as soon as she walked in, following him with that glowing motherly air. “He’s a jerk for taking you to bed without protection…”

“I’m sure he’d do whatever I asked IF I wanted to tell him,” Poppy sat down in front of him and, quickly, a sandwich was placed in front of her. Branch was avoiding her eyes by focusing on making a second one. His lips thinned in a line as he pressed them down to keep himself from answering. “It’s my baby… I’m excited about going solo,” she took a bite and slowly chewed. 

His eyes softened when he took a good look at her. She was over herself with happiness, but she was obviously keeping it all bottled up so she wouldn’t hurt him. She was afraid she’d push him away so she was stepping on eggshells to spare his feelings.

“Then… if it’s what you really want… I’m okay with it,” his eyes softened up at the same time hers widened. 

In a blink, she was gone. 

Branch dashed after her just in time to see her bursting the bathroom’s door open and emptying her stomach in the toilet. Terrified, he held her hair until she was done, flushing while she brushed her teeth. 

“You can’t live here alone, Poppy,” he leaned against the door, watching her through the mirror. She looked frighteningly pale. “You look weak.” 

“That’s normal,” she replied after cleaning her mouth. “There’s no need to bring out the paranoid hermit.” Poppy joked, brushing past him. 

He followed her back to the kitchen; he knew she wasn’t going to ask him to stay. Not after the way he had broken up with her. So, it was up to him to offer help and to show how excited he was to be able to be there for her. 

“Do you want me to take care of you?” 

Poppy stopped walking and he watched when her shoulders first stiffed, then relaxed. He couldn’t resist but to walk closer, holding her from behind, pressing his cheek against hers - realizing they were wet with tears. 

“If we won’t trouble you…”


	4. Breaking the News

In a blink, six more weeks passed. Branch barely felt the time lapse because he was busy like he had never been before in his life. First, he moved most of his beloved leaf vests, brown shorts and everything else to Poppy’s mushroom. It took him forever to convince her to give him a tiny space inside her wardrobe. Then he spontaneously took some of her duties so she could have more time to rest. He opened ’the management time’ in which he would sit in her old pod and offer quick and simple solutions to trolls who needed brainy assistance. 

With his rational point of view full of objectivity, he reduced considerably the amount of conflicts and drama they had to face every day.

The rave at four in the morning had never been so important before. Feeling completely recharged for a new day, Branch planned to connect the bunker with Poppy’s mushroom with a tunnel. According to his calculations, it would take a month of digging and two extra days to go around some tree roots that were on the way. He intended to keep it a secret, so only he and Poppy would have access to it. 

Poppy was on his mind most of the time. He had finished fixing the water slide and made his way to grab something to eat in the middle of the village. Good and old Pop Village, even if surrounded by other tribes, still hadn’t changed. His favorite brownie shop was still where it had always been and he got one to eat there and two to go, thinking that Poppy might like them as well. 

Just when he was walking back to her place, he spotted the cutest teddy bear. It was a mix of green, blue and pink with a big red ribbon around the neck. He couldn’t resist…

***

Branch found Poppy in her bedroom, looking in the mirror. She didn’t notice him, so he first watched her for a while. She was struggling to fit her breasts in her favorite bra. He noticed that they were considerably bigger and she wasn’t making an effort to hide them, walking around in her underwear like she used to when they were dating, so he didn’t think it was his fault for checking them out in the first place. 

Frustrated, she sighed and gave up, going out of the doorframe and out of his sight. Branch waited until she showed up in a sports bra and placed her hands on her hips, turning left, then right. She looked adorable standing like that and - hair - she was drop-dead gorgeous. Whenever she displayed a little more of flesh, he’d find himself drooling and wishing he could touch her again. 

“Hi…” he said, getting her attention. Her face softened and her lips widened in a smile when she saw him. She didn’t bother yelping or covering herself, she just replied a shy ‘hi’ back and opened the wardrobe to find her pajamas. Branch quickly felt the need to keep talking, “I didn’t want to sneak in, but you looked cute, so I sort of… watched, for a while.” he blushed and looked away. 

“It’s okay…” she replied quietly, slipping on a white shirt that looked familiar. 

“Hey… isn’t that mine?” he arched an eyebrow at the stolen item. 

“Not anymore!” she giggled, causing him to playfully growl at her. “You should be careful with your laundry,” and once again, she was in front of the mirror, contemplating herself.

“Oh well…” mischievously, Branch raised the teddy bear and waved it in front of her eyes. A long squeal couldn’t be helped and he grinned, proud of himself. “I guess you don’t deserve it.”

"Gimme!" Poppy cried out, stretching her arms in front of her and walking in his direction, ready to grab the bear. "Gimme! Gimme!" He laughed at her and held it back, out of her reach, enjoying the little teasing game. “Are you going to make me beg?” she bit her lower lip, looking at him so adoringly that he didn't resist and gave her the bear at once. 

How could she be so cute? Frosting, was she ever going to act like herself again? She had grown her girlie side, acting cute, swinging her hips more, dancing by herself and even her body seemed to fill out. Her breast size didn’t lie. And not just that, she had been so moody lately that he barely knew how to talk to her anymore. “Awww….” She snuggled her face in the toy, holding it tightly against her chest.

“I’ve got brownies, too,” he smiled, going towards the kitchen and having her following him with big sparkling eyes. He internally laughed, remembering the last time he had made brownies for her: they had decided on another movie night, since she was too tired to go out. They watched My Girl and Branch was caught off guard when she busted into tears after the young troll died. 

“The bees!” She sobbed, biting the brownie,

“Poppy, it’s just a movie.”

“He died, Branch!” another bite, “Her first love died!” then, he decided he wasn’t going to show her anything but comedies until her mood swings were over. And apparently, that wouldn’t happen anytime soon. 

“So…” she sat down in front of him, eating the dessert with overwhelming happiness. He was glad the wave of sickness was over. “... what did I do to deserve all this?” Poppy asked. 

“You look like you need to be spoiled a little,” yep… he couldn’t deny it… he was madly in love with her. He couldn’t help but feel like he didn’t have a care in the world. Poppy stood up and covered his face with kisses, saying ‘thank you’ a dozen times. He held her against him, enjoying the whole display of affection. It felt so good to have her with him like that. Her warm body was all he needed.

‘Shut up!’ he shouted to himself, ‘you lost her, you’re her friend. Respect a pregnant troll!’

  
  


***

“If you’re nervous, I can go by myself,” Poppy said, climbing towards the clinic pod, looking incredibly cute in a white shirt and green skirt, even if the top button was about to pop out with the new chest size. Branch looked like a pile of nerves by her side. He held her hand the entire walk, presumably ‘protecting’ her from bumps and holes on the floor but it felt more like she was supporting him from an anxiety attack. “It’s no big deal.” 

“I want to go with you,” Branch replied, feeling a little shaky. He had said he wanted to be there when Poppy told him she had an appointment to have the checkup exams done. He truly wanted to be there for her, but he was slightly… afraid… of needles, “They’re not going to hurt you, will they?”

“Seriously?” she raised her hands in exasperation and he decided to stay quiet, because she would kick him out if she had to. She was one unpredictable pregnant troll and he wasn’t going to risk getting in her way. "There's nothing wrong with me or with the baby, we're just checking, okay? We may even find out if it's a boy or a girl."

"I thought you'd rather leave it as a surprise," Branch was glad to have something else to think about. He hadn’t thought, until that moment, about the baby as a troll. He melted in a goofy grin thinking of a little one running around her place. 

“If you want to, I can wait.” Poppy replied instinctively and froze as soon as the words left her mouth. That just slipped up.

"No, no, c'mon Poppy, it's your baby, don't mind me." He answered quickly.

"Hey, you know I value your opinions as if they were my own. Whatever you think is for the best I'll consider it," she said, glad that he didn't make a big deal out of her comment.

"Thanks." Branch sighed, glad to hear her saying it. They finally arrived at the front door and he tightened his hand around hers just before stepping inside. “You know… I’m curious.”

“You’re so sweet.” Poppy stepped on her toes and gave him a peck on the cheek, making him blush and look away awkwardly when he saw many trolls sitting inside, giving them a knowing look. 

“Do you think you should announce it to the kingdom?” he whispered in her ear, after they found a place far away from prying eyes. 

“I just want to make sure everything is okay, then we can make a big announcement party, what do you think?” she flipped her feet cutely back and forth.

“Well… you’ll get a lot of gifts.” Branch half laughed, imagining that perhaps a party wasn’t the best of ideas, seeing that she still looked tired. 

Dr. Moonbloom called her and Branch quickly followed. The doctor looked at the survivalist and then back to Poppy who just gave her a nervous grin. The silent message was received, because the doctor didn’t comment about Branch being there and went straight to business, checking the queen’s blood pressure as silently as her drama bone allowed. 

Branch stood by the examination bed and followed everything that was done to Poppy. Dr. Moonbloom pretended he wasn’t there and took notes. She checked the weight and the belly circumference before asking Poppy to lay down. 

And then he saw it. When Poppy lifted her shirt up, he could see a bump in there. It was small, but it was there. Branch gulped nervously, feeling that everything was becoming real too soon. The anxiety was climbing up once again.

The room was filled with a loud pumping sound. It took him a second and a glimpse at Poppy’s overwhelmed tears to understand he was listening to the baby’s heartbeat. 

How could he be so stupid? Branch had never felt as jealous of someone in his whole life as he felt jealous of the baby's father at that moment. She was practically glowing with happiness and he wasn't the one who put that happiness there. Poppy was the love of his life, his best friend, she knew everything about him. They practically completed each other and he needed to make sure she knew he loved her with every fiber of his being. 

He needed to reclaim her.

“Branch? Are you in there?” Poppy was looking at him confusedly, waiting for him to answer. 

“I’m sorry, I spaced out for a second,” he shook the pleasant thoughts away to return to the real world.

“Are you staying for the ultrasound?” Dr. Moonbloom asked one more time, looking slightly annoyed. 

"Yes!" Branch answered quickly. The doctor chuckled and said she'd be right back. "Hey, Poppy..." Branch said quietly when he saw that they were alone in the room. She stopped caressing her belly and looked up, waiting for him to continue. "I was wondering if you need someone to be there with you... you know... when you deliver."

"It would be great to have someone there," she smiled up to him, already knowing where he was getting at. It looked like she wasn't the only one all sensitive about the pregnancy.

"Could I be there with you?" He asked nervously.

"Well, are you ready to face blood, my bad mood, screams and pain?"

"You make it sound like a battlefield," he shrugged.

"That's what it will be like," she laughed. "And I'll need support."

"I'll be glad to be there, Poppy," he held her hand tightly in his and kissed it.

“All set!” the doctor returned and got Poppy ready. Branch didn’t let go of her hand the whole time. He had never seen an ultrasound before. He could barely distinguish anything in the black and white screen and if it wasn’t for the doctor to point it out, he’d never guess that the tiny bean shaped thing was the baby. “It’s too soon to know if it’s a boy or a girl.” 

“Aw...,” Poppy pouted at Branch, but she wasn’t sad at all. She was bursting with joy and he could tell she was struggling from standing up and flipping around the room. 

The examinations ended and Poppy and Branch sat in front of the doctor's desk to wait for her conclusions. Their hands were clasped together, giving each other support. 

“From your blood exam, I see you’re healthy. There’s nothing to worry about for the moment,” that ‘moment’ word the doctor plugged there, made Branch frown. “Have you been feeling faint?” Poppy shook her head without blinking and Branch immediately knew it was a lie. “Well, your blood pressure is a little high, nothing to worry about, I’m not even going to prescribe anything for now.” 

“Is it dangerous to the baby?” Poppy was alarmed. 

“Not for the baby, but if it gets high, we must control it until birth for your sake,” the lack of dramatic voice made Branch wonder if this time she was seriously worried. Perhaps if she was joking, he’d feel more relieved. “I want you to get it checked twice a day,” and she gave Poppy a portable monitor. 

“Okay, I’ll do that.”

“Other than that, you’ve lost a lot of weight; how’s the sickness?”

“Oh, it got better this week.” Poppy was still a little shaken by the news and Branch was the one to pick the monitor and put it in his hair, to get the disturbing device out of her sight. 

“You should just keep with the vitamins, then.” 

***

It was on their monthly girls’ night that Poppy decided to break the news. It was Val’s turn to host and Branch had walked the Pop Queen all the way to Hard Rock Hollow and it raised suspicion. Other than incredibly adorable of him, the girls could fish something odd going on, even because the last time they heard about the couple, they had broken up in a nasty way. 

“So… are you and Branch back together?” It was Holly who asked, taking the opportunity to snoop while Poppy was getting her hair done. 

“We’re…” Poppy took her time to find the right words. “... living together, but we’re not… together, together. You know what I mean?”

“Uh, living in sin. I didn’t know you had it in you Popsqueak. Nice.” Val cackled, earning a reproachful look from Holly. 

“But Poppy, you two love each other, why you’re not together-together?” Holly asked, giving R and B a look to back her up. 

“Ah… well…” Poppy had discussed the situation with Branch the day before. He suggested that she explained the pregnancy without detailing everything so they could test how everyone would take the news. “... we’re… sort of… expecting.”

Scissors and nail polish fell on the floor. The girls all blinked at the same time before bursting in excited squeals. 

“A sweet babyyyyy!!!” Holly twisted her hair as her eyes sparkled. “It will be as cute as Branch!” 

“Goodness, Poppy! We had no idea!”

“Pregnancy or egg?”

“Pregnancy!”

“Hey, wait.” Holly suddenly realized something. “If you’re pregnant, why you’re not together?”

“It’s complicated.” Poppy really didn’t want to ruin Branch’s reputation by saying he didn’t want to be a dad in the first place. 

“So… you’re pregnant… and you’re living together…and he’s helping you with the pregnancy...” Val raised her fingers as she analyzed the odds. “But you’re not together-together,” she busted out laughing, causing the girls to frown at her. “Oh, my hair, you’re doing everything a married couple do BUT the commitment.” 

“Oh well… it is kind of funny,” R said to B, who just gave her a nervous look, seeing Poppy looking slightly sad. 

“Poppy, darling, I’m sure with cupcakes and a warm heart-to-heart you two can solve it and be wonderful parents,” Holly - the one with a natural motherly spirit - offered real help. “From the way he looks at you, we all can tell how madly in love he is.”

“Not to mention that the bun will need Daddy around.” B completed. 

“Hey, what about we skip the gloomy subject and call everybody for a baby shower?” Val took her guitar and was about to wake everybody up with a loud solo, if Poppy hadn’t stopped her. “What?”

“I want a baby shower Val. I just thought we could give it a little bit more planning,” the pink queen half laughed and Holly lifted Poppy’s shirt, revealing her pink tummy. “What?”

“You’re not showing, yet. Are you eating properly?” 

“I’m not going to show now. Just got in the second trimester.” Poppy explained, feeling exasperated that everyone seemed to worry about her weight. 

“Well, I’ll cook you some good and old stew to help you keep the food down.” 

Poppy could only sigh. Branch had been right, as always. Their excitement was overflowing and soon the entire Trollstopia would share her happiness. Mentally, she wondered if a morning speech would be a better announcement than a party, just like he had suggested. Her lips curled in a smile and she thought how wise Branch was. Sometimes, she felt like a little girl head over heels in love with him. 

***

Sixteen weeks of pregnancy and Poppy was still tired. Branch found her asleep over her work inside her old pod after looking for her all over the village. Since he had started using the pod for meetings, it had become something like an office. She had many sheets of paper under her. He had seen she had been endlessly writing, scratching and rewriting the speech to deliver the news. 

Branch would walk prepared all the time now, so he had brought a basket of sweets for when he found her. He placed it on her desk, causing her to wake up. 

“Branch…?” she sat up in surprise and broke into a tired smile. “I’m so glad to see you.”

“I thought you both might be hungry,” he gave her the chocolate cupcake first which she ate, closing her eyes with delight. 

“We are,” she giggled, moving from the desk to her fluffy blue puff, so Branch could sit down next to her. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he gave her that lovesick look again and Poppy blushed, looking back at her cupcake. “So, you’re still working on the announcement?”

“I can’t seem to get it right.” Poppy groaned and threw herself back, completely lying down in frustration. Her shirt lifted with the sudden movement, revealing that the bump had gotten bigger. It wasn’t enough to change her panties size but it was enough to cause Branch to lift a hand, wanting to touch it. “Oh dear,” Poppy lifted her head, with her eyes widened, causing him to retreat his hand before she noticed his intentions. “I think... “

“What?” he asked, looking scared that something might be wrong. 

“I think I felt… a kick?” she blinked a few times, looking down and staying quiet, paying attention. Branch felt his heart beating faster. “I think it really is a kick!” she giggled, supporting herself up on her elbows. 

“How do you know?” he asked, curiously. Wasn’t the bump too small for her to feel anything?

“I don’t…” she giggled again, looking down and waiting. “It felt like a tiny butterfly moving around but… it’s stronger now. I must be a kick. There it is, again!”

Branch looked at her, fascinated. 

"C-c-can I?" his voice trailed off before he finished his question, but Poppy understood what he wanted. She grabbed his hand and put it under her shirt, on her growing abdomen. Branch blushed when he felt her burning skin under his fingertips. The texture of her body felt so familiar to him. And then something moved

He stopped breathing so he could concentrate. It felt like bubbling water. Light and almost impossible for him to feel. Oh dear... he melted completely. He was feeling it! The baby was moving under his fingers. 

Branch looked up to Poppy to contemplate her face, but when he saw her, she was looking down at him, expecting his reaction. And then it was impossible to control himself. He reached up and pressed his lips sweetly to hers. Her eyelids widened before closing and responding to his kiss. Fireworks exploded in his mind, like they did every time they kissed when they were dating. 

Her uncertain hands found his chest under his leaf vest and she ran her hands there a few times before wrapping her arms around his neck. Her mouth opened, welcoming him to taste her heatedly, with their tongues touching in the familiar waltz. 

A warm drop touched his cheek and he opened his eyes to see Poppy crying. Uncertain of what to do, he retreated, causing her to look up at him with her tear stained face. 

“I’m sorry,” he took his hands off her shirt and sat down straight. Both were now very quiet, thinking of what had just happened. She looked like a kid caught stealing candies before dinner. She had wanted to kiss him and to have him back so badly she couldn’t help but be overwhelmed.

“It’s okay.” Poppy smiled breathlessly, standing up quickly. “I guess I should go home and finish the speech there.”

“I’ll walk you,” he offered, but he didn’t wait for her to agree with him. He scooped her up in his arms and stretched his hair outside, using it to land safely on the ground below, where he set her back on her feet. She smiled gratefully at him while they walked. 

Branch thought about how his relationship with Poppy would be from now on. He was taking care of her, like he always had, he was helping her through the pregnancy and he had pointed out more than once that the baby would need a father figure. If she really wasn’t willing to get the real father involved, then he’d inevitably take that role. 

It hit him like a truck: he wanted to be the baby's father more than anything in his life. He even thought about proposing to her! He could marry her and they would be a family. How beautiful it would be to lay down with her at night and wake up when their child jumped in between them, scared of a storm.

"Poppy..." he called her quietly, as he held the door open for her to enter the lounge room. "You see... I was wondering when you're going to tell your dad about the baby," she immediately sat down on the couch, curling her feet under her, deep in thought.

"I think I should just drop by and say it. I've procrastinated enough," she sighed, seeing that she didn't have an easy way out of that one. "He won’t be pleased."

"I've got an idea." Branch said, sitting down next to her and putting a hand on her thigh in a daring move. She didn't notice and he didn't care. She turned on the TV and laid down on the couch, wrapping her arms around him and bringing him down to cuddle with her, something that was becoming more and more natural between them two. “Let’s make him a nice dinner.”

“I don’t know…” She whispered quietly, more to herself than to him.

"You're not looking forward to this," he said, opening a lollipop and sticking it in her mouth without her permission – yes! He loved feeding her like that! He got another lollipop to himself as he lay there, with his hands on her stomach, watching some random TV show.

"What will he say when I tell him there isn’t a father?" sadly, she turned in his arms, feeling as the uncertainty gave room to happiness and he felt the excitement building up. It was something that happened between them: they would intoxicate each other with their emotions. "Branch..." she said in a whisper, smiling broadly at him. "I know we’ve been over this… but… would you like to be the baby's father?" his hands were gone in a blink of an eye. He sat up on the couch looking at her, stunned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." she sat up as well, looking down at her lap, scared of what she was going to say next. "...you know... you could help me raise the baby. Take him out for a game. Spend time with him. Doing stuff a father would do."

Branch didn’t answer immediately, but many emotions changed his features as he thought about it. 

“I’m sorry.” Poppy quickly emended when he seemed to go into an endless loop of feeling sad and happy. “I know you don’t want it…”

"Poppy..." his stunned face slowly softened, making her relax and wait patiently for what he had to say. "I think you've just made me the happiest troll ever," he embraced her tightly, holding her while trembling. 

"You're so corny." She laughed, delighted.

"I've wanted to offer it myself for a while," he said in her hair. "But I thought you'd get mad."

"How could I ever be mad?"

“You know… because of the drama and the break up...” 

“I’ve hurt your feelings…”

“Poppy… I will regret that day for the rest of my life.” Branch ignored her attempt to apologize and took her hands in his, causing more tears to shed from her eyes. “Can we try it again?” it was so evident now… he planted a kiss on her neck, feeling her shiver while he nuzzled her. "I want to reclaim my place in your heart."

“So…” hesitantly, Poppy played with the tip of her fingers to avoid staring into his gorgeous deep blue eyes. “... you want to try again?”

To answer her, Branch moved forward, completely wrapping his arms around her, but careful not to squeeze her too much. Their lips met in a beautiful encounter, getting reacquainted to the only troll that would make the other happy. 

Branch had never forgotten how she liked to be kissed and he proved that by getting the cutest little noises from her.

Later that night, with the shower water running loudly, Poppy broke down into sobs. Branch was asleep in her bed just outside. He didn’t dare touch her intimately as she had hoped, but they would try sleeping on the same bed again. 

She muffed her cry with her hands, so he couldn’t listen to her sobbing inside the bathroom.

What kind of game was she playing with him? He was the real father and now she had just invited him to be what he already was! She couldn't keep the truth from him forever. What if the baby was born looking exactly like him? She'd be lost and she would lose him for good.

How could she tell him the truth when he was just accepting the fact that he wanted to be a father? 

She didn't have the courage to tell him the truth, just yet.

She'd have to keep lying to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't make their lives easy, can I?


	5. The Dad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Well, a lot of things will happen in his chapter so you should be prepared for them. Angst starts now and there will be pregnant sex.

Poppy had completed twenty-four weeks and finally started showing. Branch noticed it one morning, when he lazily slid his arm around her to pull her close. He felt the bump wasn't so small anymore. His move made her lazily stretch, turning around in his arms to snuggle into his chest wrapping arms and legs around him. 

It felt delicious to have her like that again even if Branch had been holding himself back. It felt a lot like when they started dating. There were a lot of supportive conversations, awkward touches, hugs and a few stolen kisses here and there, but he didn’t even dare to explore further. He was dying to have an intense night with her, but the truth was: he was scared he would hurt her and he felt like an idiot for thinking that way. Maybe he should ask the doctor if they were allowed to… 

Poppy’s mouth was on his before he could complete that thought. He felt her eyelashes on his cheeks and eagerly responded to her kiss. He buried his fingers in her hair at the same time she found her way under his shirt. He loved how her perfume would completely involve them, making him want to take it all in. His hands went down, caressing the back of her thighs, causing her to moan and hurry to work on his buttons. 

Alarmed, he opened his eyes to see her moving to sit on top of him with that fire that he knew so well. Could they do it? He had to check before it went any further. While he calculated the chances of hurting her, he touched her arm, not warmly, but in a way that caused her to disentangle herself from him and look down in confusion. 

“Is everything okay?” she asked breathlessly. 

“Uh… I’m sorry.” Branch looked from her face to her belly, repeatedly, trying to make her understand without words that he was insecure about it. 

“Oh…” looking away, feeling dismissed, Poppy rolled off to lay on her back to a safe distance from him with her eyes staring at the ceiling. 

“It’s not that I don’t want you…” Branch tried to explain. 

“I understand,” she interrupted him with a smile, making him gulp when he saw her hiding how she hurt she felt. Poppy threw the covers away, going straight to the bathroom and closing the door. “We should get ready for the baby shower anyway,” she from inside, trying to sound cheerful, but he knew that as soon as she opened the faucet and the noise of the water invaded his ears, she’d break down sobbing. 

***

Poppy welcomed everyone in the baby shower. It was as big as a party just like she had thought it would be. As soon as she spread the words that she was pregnant everyone wanted to see the lovely Queen looking all motherly. Her oversized dress hid her belly, but she was constantly caressing it, showing much love and affection for the unborn baby. Branch thought it was very cute to see her like that, even though he caught her saying she was feeling ugly; he did not agree with her, actually, he could swear she was getting even more beautiful each day that passed.

Branch took his time to sit far away from the girls, while they continued offering her cupcakes and refreshments of all flavors. King Peppy was sitting down by his side with a joyful smile and patting him on the back every now and then. 

“Of course, I’d rather you had waited until you’re married, but I’m thrilled to be a grandpa!” Too much joy from one side, and too many uncomfortable gulps from the other. Branch had told King Peppy he was the father, to make things less awkward for his girlfriend. They had agreed to keep it in between them, but the amount of questions about the identity of the father started to build up to Poppy. He could see her eyes twitching at each time she was asked about it.

“Rock On, Popsqueak!” It was Barb’s voice and Branch turned around in time to see Val opening a knitted card to Poppy from the Queen of Rock herself. Poppy laughed deliriously at the skull and crossbones bodysuit she was gifted. 

“Please, Val tell Queen Barb I love the gift.” Poppy giggled, hugging Val. 

“Poppy, darling!” Holly hugged her friend, giving her the cutest plush toy. “You’re so BIG. How adorable.” 

From the other side of the room, Branch didn’t take Holly’s words kindly, seeing Poppy’s bliss getting shattered like a glass on a wall. So, before further damage was done, he quickly made his way to the four-legged troll and pulled her from Poppy to have a serious conversation. 

Poppy stood stunned for a while. She thought she was big, all right, but she didn’t think it was that huge. She still had three months to go and the prospect of getting even bigger made her panic. Was she exaggerating? Too many cupcakes a day… more vitamins and less sugar… Oh hair, but the doctor said she was on the right weight and size last time she had an appointment. 

“Hey, Poppy.” Smidge called, showing her a white and golden popper. “The revelation is here, as you asked.” Her small friend grinned. “Pink for girl, blue for boy.”

“Yes!” Poppy squealed, hugging Smidge. “You’re the best friend a Queen could ask for.”

“Huddle up, everyone, it’s revelation time!” Smidge cried out, making everyone stop what they were doing to gather around a fancy table with colorful decorations. Poppy looked over to all curious eyes staring back at her, trying to see if Branch would join her in the front or if he would choose to stay with the crowd. 

And he was way back, still on the same corner, talking to Holly, who giggled at him and squished his cheeks. Poppy froze for a moment. The event of that morning flashed before her eyes. Branch didn’t want her, she was too big and Holly was there, looking slim and gorgeous as always. 

“What are you waiting for, Poppy?” Biggie asked, putting a hand on her forehead. “Are you feeling well?”

“She’s waiting for the father to join her!” it was King Peppy who said this, and everyone looked around expectantly. Poppy nervously thought about all the good excuses she could give to pop the revelation without saying who was the father. 

“Oh well, I’m here.” Branch said quietly, but still very proud of the trouble he was getting into. Poppy looked at him with a small inaudible gasp, followed by everyone stunned faces. Okay, maybe he hadn't talked to Poppy about telling the whole Trollstopia he was the father and cutting off the detail he was 'invited' to play the role long after she was pregnant, but still, he couldn't see much of a difference.

“Hm… Branch… can I talk to you for a second?” Poppy asked, looking at the undistinguished conversation going into a frenzy in the crowd. He nodded warmly at her and took her hand, helping her out of the sight. "What - the hair - are you doing?"

"I told you I accept taking the father role," he chuckled at her distress. "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that they will think you're the real father!" she said, almost running out of breath. Branch noticed how rapid and desperate she was breathing and made her sit down on a chair. "They'll ask about marriage!" and you don’t want a family, Poppy wanted to add.

"We don't have to say that we are getting married." Branch shrugged. "Hey, breathe; I'll do the talking now," he put a hand on her forehead, noticing she was warmer than usual, her cheeks were burning. Stress wasn't good for high blood pressure. "What I meant to say here is that I don't mind what they think. I'm going to be your baby's father and that's final,” it was too messed up for Poppy. Too insane for her to reason her way out of it. Silence was the only proper answer to keep her lie in check. “I think it would be worse if they found out you slept with some idiot who abandoned you."

"He's not an idiot," she answered quietly, closing her eyes and letting a single tear fall. How many more blows like that was she willing to take? Branch was so upset about that whole thing that if she ever told him the truth, she'd shatter his heart in a thousand pieces.

"Did you love him?" he crouched down in front of her, his hands around her hips to encourage her answer. Branch noticed how her face would soften when the mysterious troll was mentioned. He had to know. More than a minute passed and the only thing he got from her was more tears. He sighed impatiently. "I want to know who he is," he lifted her face with a single finger on her chin. "I want to know who is this troll I'm so incredibly jealous of."

"Jealous? You didn’t seem jealous while Holly was all over you," she said quietly, taking his hands off her.

“Wait, what?” Branch asked in confusion, seeing her mood changing from sad to furious.

“Are we together or are we not together, Branch?” she stepped towards him, making the male shrink, fearing for his life. “You can’t be adorable and push me away at the same time. You’re confusing me!”

“I really don’t get it…” Branch was a perceptive troll. He developed that skill from years of being by her side, but still the queen was puzzling him beyond words with those mood swings. 

“Let me make it clear for you, then,” she took a deep breath, her face going red. “You break up with me because you don’t want a family, then I decide to have a baby anyway and you come back riding your white horse and offering friendship. You’re so sweet that I can’t fight my love for you and you offer me exactly what I’ve always wanted: your love and your support for this pregnancy,” her anger was slowly melting as she continued with her rant. Branch’s hand lowered, listening to the story from her point of view. “But you won’t touch me, even if I’m crawling up the walls with all these hormones and then you flirt with Holly in front of me. On my baby shower!”

“Okay, I’ve heard enough.” Branch said, looking at her as seriously as he could. “There’s a big misunderstanding here and I want to clear it so you won’t ever doubt my feelings for you again,” he pulled a chair and made her sit down again, seeing that she was growing paler, even if she stubbornly pouted. “Look, the only reason I’m not touching you is because I’m afraid I’m going to hurt you.” Poppy’s face completely changed from sad to amused at this. “And about Holly, I was just telling her that it wasn't very polite to comment on your shape. She meant it as a compliment, but I know you’re sensitive about it, so I had to tell her to hold the enthusiastic words back. That’s all.” 

“Oh…” her eyes trailed down, feeling too foolish to sustain his gaze.

The popper was still in her hands. 

“And…” Branch put his hands over hers, making her lift her eyes once more. “I don’t care if they ask about marriage because I _do_ want to marry you.”

***

Later that evening, Branch pulled the last pink confetti from Poppy’s hair, grinning foolishly at her. They were having a little girl. The gifts filled the baby room completely, with wrapping papers scattered everywhere. 

“I know this bodysuit is your favorite!” Poppy giggled, showing him the small black cloth with Bad Hair Day emblem. 

“Gotta thank Demo for it!” Branch laughed, taking the gift from her hand and looking deeply into her eyes. He licked his lips while playing with another strand of pink hair as he tucked it out of her face. “You know… Dr. Moonbloom was at the party.”

“Yes, I’ve invited her.” Poppy answered, quizzically, not really understanding where he was getting at. 

“Well… let’s say I sort of asked her a question and after half an hour laughing,” Poppy’s lips turned in a thin line, pressing them together to keep from bursting out in giggles as well. “she said we can… hm… be intimate.”

“By all that is troll-y, Branch. Of course, we can!” and she laughed so hard that Branch really thought it was silly of him to think otherwise. He was so glad to see her happy like that that he couldn’t help but to join her, inching close to a long and passionate kiss that she quickly melted into. 

Arms draped across his back, head tilted to the side, Poppy was quickly surrendering to his roaming hands. He missed the taste of her body so he nipped at everything he could reach, her lips, her neck, jaw, earning the most delicious moaning in return. 

“Our room?” Branch asked, having her breathlessly nodding. She didn’t really know how they got there. She was slightly aware of when he removed her panties by the door, and how his shirt had been thrown just in front of their suite. 

**XX-XX**

The combination of feelings made Branch allow a few tears to fall as he moved into her. Her slick skin rubbing against his, the warmth of her body, the way she’d raise her face to kiss him every time he retracted a little. There was a way that she placed her hands on his back, digging her fingers as their movements became more intense that was so _her_. All that mixed up with the familiarity of her body, of how he could tell when she would gasp or ask for a caress or a pull of hair. It all stormed on him, making him burst all the emotions that were suppressed for months. 

Branch was extra careful, which was torturously slow for Poppy. He held his weight up, avoiding to crush her, but she kept pushing him down, to cover her like a blanket. She pushed against him enthusiastically, breaking into her first climax. He stopped to watch her like he always did. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was slightly open, riding high. Like a book he had read before, he saw her next moves: her hands loosed the grip on his back, falling to her sides, then her lips turned into a lazy smile just before she opened her eyes and pushed him down for a fiery kiss, that ignited the fire once again, causing her to tentatively move against him. 

She moved to the side and he rolled off, allowing her to climb on top. Branch offered his hands to support her when she moved. Usually she wouldn’t need help, but this time she accepted it, intertwining their fingers as she made the most adorable expressions. He felt her tightening again and he just couldn’t lay down anymore. Sitting up to slide an arm around her and to deep his fingers into her hair, he kissed her desperately as both came together. 

**XX-XX**

“I love you, Branch,” she spoke urgently against his lips and his eyes widened at the _Deja vu_ feeling. She smiled tiredly at him and accepted his help when he snuggled against her, covering them both with warm blankets. He didn’t say anything back, just caressed her hair, vaguely remembering having an incredible drunk sex in his kitchen. 

He couldn’t remember who was the girl he had been with. 

Branch watched the calm rhythm of her chest going up and down. His throat tightened while watching her. He was sure he had been with someone else and it felt terribly like betrayal. Even if Poppy had also been with another troll, he couldn’t fight the bile rising when he thought he had done the same.

How could he surrender to a girl like that? He didn’t even have full memories of it. In the end, was he just another primal male that would lose his mind to hormones?

That night was terribly long and Branch found himself in a loop of guilty thoughts.

***

Trolls always talked about how pregnant ladies would have unusual cravings; Branch paid close attention to Poppy, ready to get her whatever she wanted and at any time she asked, but the request for unusual food never came… at least, not until she reached close to twenty-eight weeks. They were walking around, hand in hand, shopping for a proper breast-feeding bra, when she mentioned the unthinkable. 

“I’m dropping by Hard Rock Hollow to get a cupcake _a la splode_ ,” and she said it with such an ease that Branch had to look at her face twice to check if she was serious.

Face.

Belly.

Explosives. 

“Do you really need them now?” he tentatively asked, seeing her face brightening up just to think about the dessert. 

“I’ve been thinking about them a lot, lately,” she hummed, changing paths to start walking towards the Hard Rockers’ place. It wasn’t the freak out craving he was expecting and she was going to get them by herself. Too normal… 

“Can I get them for you?” Branch asked, nervously. “Without the fuses?” 

“Oh…okay,” it wasn’t the excited answer he thought he would get and Branch realized that what she was craving for was the explosion itself. 

And while she waited outside the shop, Branch went inside to figure the best way to get her the exploding dessert as safely as possible. He asked the explosion range and quickly calculated how far Poppy should be to safely eat the dessert and watch the pyrotechnics at the same time. 

“Are you okay, Popsqueak? You look pale.” Val’s voice from outside the shop made Branch frown and place his notebook inside his hair. 

“Fine. It’s just hot here.” Poppy’s voice sounded a little out of breath and Branch immediately left the cupcakes behind to check on her. Indeed, she was leaning against the wall, fanning herself and the day was quite chilly. “Hey, did you get it?” she asked as soon as she saw him. 

“Maybe another time. You should rest.” Branch said, dipping his head to see her sweaty face. 

“What do you need?” Val asked, looking concerned. 

“Cupcake _a la splode._ ” Poppy quickly said, eyes glowing, which made Val shrug away from her. “I’m dying for it!”

“Seriously? You didn’t look that desperate ten minutes ago.” Branch’s words got him a deadly and teary look. “Ok, ok, I’ll go get them. But then home!” and immediately, Poppy nodded, agreeing with him. “I’ll just finish the calculus…” 

“What are you calculating now?” Val popped inside, “It's a cupcake, dude.”

“It’s an explosive cupcake for a _pregnant_ troll, Val. Jeez… pay attention.” 

Val just rolled her eyes and lightened up the cupcake, causing Branch to freak out, seeing her walking outside with it. 

“Hey, Popsqueak. Open wide.” Val said before throwing it up high. Branch watched, horrified, as the dessert flew in the air. And then it exploded in a safe distance from Poppy and fell right into her mouth. The poor teal troll felt his legs giving out, “See? Easy!”

“Thank you, Val!” Poppy squealed, hugging her best Hard Rocker friend. 

“Hey, no probs. Man up, Branch. See ya!” 

Poppy was beaming with happiness all the way down to their mushroom and Branch was in a really bad mood. So, as soon as they walked inside, he made sure she was feeling better, with her pink colored cheeks as evidence, he announced he was going to drop by the bunker. Tapping his foot on the carpet in the middle of the living room, a brand-new trap door opened and he climbed down, looking at his radiant girlfriend as she blew him a kiss. 

He was the kind of troll who would lock himself in an underground fortress and growl when he was upset. How dare Val give Poppy the cupcake like that? He didn’t know what angered him more, the fact that she ate the dessert or that it wasn’t him who delivered it. 

Branch opened the cupboard in his kitchen and picked up a plate, ready to clean his fridge, knowing that there probably were rotten leftovers inside, since he hadn’t been there in weeks. He piled up the discarded food on the plate before taking them all to the trash. Opening the sink to clean his plate, Branch growled a few times, still feeling annoyed. 

Then he saw the plate he was holding and blinked a few times. 

It wasn’t his. 

The pink heart-shaped drawing on the center of the ceramics was just like the ones Poppy had in her kitchen. He wondered when he had gotten her plate there. He didn’t remember bringing food over or having her delivering anything. 

But then again… he did remember that plate full of cookies. 

The sulking was over and he quickly returned to the tunnel where he had come from and entered her lounge room with the plate in his hands. 

“Poppy? I need to ask you something.” The sound of her vomiting in the bathroom interrupted him and he sighed. So, the cupcake wasn’t a good idea after all… 

He waited until she was done. He heard the shower and the lovely sound of her singing echoed through the mushroom. Leaning on the couch, Branch closed his eyes. 

It was a quick nap, but it was quite pleasant. Branch had dreamed about a girl in his kitchen, he couldn't exactly see her face, but she felt familiar. He dreamed he had almost attacked her and they've done it like rabbits on his kitchen’s table. To his surprise by the end of the dream, she kissed him and when he opened his eyes to see her face, he saw Poppy. But instead of being shocked, it was a delightful surprise.

He sat up, unruly hair and all, when he saw her tiptoeing into the kitchen. 

“I’m up.” he yawned. 

“Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you,” she smiled guiltily while placing tea to be heated on the stove. 

He stumbled after her, rubbing his eyes. He picked a teacup and placed it on the table, commanding her to sit down that he was going to finish the tea. Poppy threw her hands in the air, exasperatedly, but did what she was told. 

"You know... I have something to tell you," she sat on the table; placing her feet on a chair before her while she waited for him to continue. "This is quite embarrassing, but..." he turned around and saw where she was sitting. He blushed, remembering his dream and quickly turned his back to her again. He couldn't see her like that. Frosting. Why the hair did she decide to sit there?

"Hey, you can tell me anything." Poppy said, seeing his hesitation.

"... I've been dreaming about this girl. Remember that day we made up?" he didn't wait for her answer and continued. "That dream is sort of haunting me and… when I try to look at her, I see you," if he had turned around at that moment, he'd have seen Poppy going stiff. 

"What?" she asked, surprised, letting the empty cup fall on the floor and shatter in pieces. "Sugar," she cursed quietly, and then she jumped off the table and bent down to pick up the broken glass.

"You're not bending down with that belly! Sit." Branch said, and then he picked the glasses up quickly, before she had a chance to protest. “Anyway, Poppy, did you, by any chance, visit me that day?”

Panicking, Poppy abruptly stood up, going straight to the couch, building up time to think if she should tell him the truth at once. He curiously followed her, seeing when she sat down a little too fast for his comfort;

“I thought…” he was going to say something, but his brain completely shut down when he saw her face. Her pink cheeks went pale and she opened her mouth and made a choking sound. “Poppy!” she couldn’t breath and her hand went straight to the lower part of her stomach, pressing tightly. “Talk to me! Is it time?!” she shook her head, raising a hand to stop him from approaching. Her forehead was dripping with sweat in seconds. The choking diminished, becoming a painful wheezing sound. She wasn’t responding and Branch tried to pick her up, only to make her cry out in pain. “POPPY!” 

“Wait…” she managed to speak out. “... just wait.”

Excruciating minutes went by and Poppy slowly was able to catch her breath. Her pupils were dilated. 

“What is going on?” Branch hated to feel completely lost at what to do. Something was clearly wrong with her, but she wouldn’t say it fast enough to calm his racing mind. 

“It was just a sharp pain when I sat down. It’s passing now.” Poppy explained, testing her movement to feel the spot that hurt. It was just above her hip bone and it was painful. Perhaps the worst pain she had ever felt in her life. 

“We’re going to Dr. Moonbloom right now.” Branch said, helping her to stand up. 

“No, I’m fine,” she shrugged, sitting down once again and giving a tentative stretch. Nothing hurt. “Good as new.” Branch wasn’t buying it and she continued. “I’d like that tea now.” 

It was enough to make him slightly relax. Still keeping an eye on her, Branch went to the kettle that had been whistling for the past minutes and poured her a hot cup. Poppy smiled gratefully at him and decided to come up with a different subject to show him that she was feeling fine. 

“We should go through baby names,” she offered and Branch crossed his arms, leaning against the sink with a sigh. He knew what she was doing. She was calming his nerves by distracting him.

“What do you have in mind?” they talked for about half an hour; no name sounded good enough. The tea was gone and Poppy felt an urge to go to the bathroom, as expected.

“I’ll be right back.” 

She saw her reflection and made sure she applied some makeup to hide her pale lips. She had quite a fright and the last thing she wanted was to worry Branch. Although the pain had taken her by surprise it was very convenient to scratch the subject about his dream away.

Poppy put down her panties and sat down. 

It was about time she told him the truth, she figured. Maybe she should take the opportunity to tell him. After all, he was happy about their arrangement. Nothing would change and he could even be grateful about the whole mess. Looking down to put her panties back up, Poppy froze. 

It was blood. 

“BRANCH!!!”


	6. Proposal Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick warning: more pregnant sex in this chapter.

Poppy was a mix of sad and angry at herself. She laid down in her bed, with Branch by her side mindlessly caressing her and peppering kisses on her belly now and then. She had had a mild placental abruption. She caused the trauma by ridiculously sitting on the couch and the only treatment to keep from losing the baby was to lay down. 

Her. 

Poppy. 

Laying down. 

For weeks. 

“We’ll get through it. You’ll see.” Branch said. His eyes were visible from the other side of her belly and Poppy looked curiously at him. He was talking to the baby. “In ten weeks, you’ll be out here with us.”

Her heart warmed up at his words and at the same time she felt useless. From the moment Branch had busted into the bathroom and saw her trembling with bloody hands, she knew she couldn't go through the pregnancy by herself, no matter how much she liked to think otherwise. 

Doctor Moonbloom had explained what had happened and instructed Branch to keep an eye on the Queen, since apparently, she was too busy seeing the bright side and forgetting to check her blood pressure. The teal troll was responsible for the medicine and monitoring her from that moment on. 

Poppy needed complete bed rest for two weeks and after that she was allowed to go for small walks and to have mindful and careful sex. She wasn't supposed to lift anything heavy until birth. And the helpless feeling was crushing her from the moment Branch helped her down on the bed. 

"Poppy, look," he looked amusedly at the side of her belly. Poppy felt the baby moving all the time now, but she didn’t realize Branch hadn’t seen what happened then. A small bump went up then went down several times, slowly, like pushing against her skin. Branch sat up, cross legged, staring at it with fascination. “She’s pushing up.” 

“She does that a lot now,” Poppy answered, looking at him, not believing how attached he was becoming. 

“Does it hurt?” he placed his hand on it, laughing softly when the baby kicked right into his palm; “High five to you, too, tiny madam.” 

“No, it doesn’t,” and after a while, the bump went down and her belly remained still once again. Branch gave her a boyish smile that she had never seen before. The kind of grin that said he was happy and proud to be part of the whole process. “We should grab some sleep, you know… edgy day.”

“Sure,” he quickly kissed her on the lips and stood up. “Do you want to eat anything?” 

“I’m just very thirsty,” Poppy smiled and Branch soon returned with a bottle of water, painkillers and the blood pressure monitor. 

“What? I’m just taking care of you.” Branch asked her innocently, giving her the bottle, which she realized was easier to drink from than a glass; that way she didn’t have to sit up completely. 

"I'm feeling terribly hot," Poppy’s cheeks were red and her forehead was sweaty. She grabbed the hem of her nightgown and pulled it over her head. Branch gulped, knowing he would have a hard time sleeping next to his naked girlfriend.

And while they were laying down, almost completely going off to dreamland, Poppy snuggled into his chest, wondering if she deserved such a lovely and caring boyfriend while she was still keeping the truth from him. 

***

“Okay, I promise I won’t take long.” Branch informed, Poppy. Checking her pillows once again. He was completely restless. He didn’t want to leave her, but he needed to urgently check on a pod that was going off level because of a crack. He had to see if it was safe or if everybody needed to move from that tree. 

The doorbell rang and the survivalist quickly went to the lounge room to open the door for Smidge. He had thought about calling Holly, since the country girl seemed to know more about pregnant trolls than all others, but he had a feeling that Poppy was still sensitive about the misunderstanding at the baby shower. 

“How is she?” Smidge asked, walking inside with a basket full of candies. 

“She’s fine and she’s in our room.” Saying that it was _their_ room felt incredibly good. Somehow it made him feel that their arrangement wasn’t temporary, that as they were really a married couple expecting their first child. “She can be stubborn sometimes,” Branch explained, lowering his voice so Poppy wouldn’t be able to hear them. “I think it’s the hormones, but you know her, she’s thick headed when she settles her mind in something.”

“Is there anything I should be worried about?” Smidge gulped, already thinking that maybe she should call for backup. 

“She doesn’t like to be treated like she’s sick, but you must monitor her.” Branch explained, “I’ve noticed she grows quiet and pale when the blood pressure rises. Give her medicine if you confirm it. Do not let her stand up.”

“Jeez, Branch. She’s Poppy.” Smidge tried to brush off the worry, but the baby’s father did not bulge. 

“Exactly and Poppy doesn’t always listen. Bedrest means bedrest even if she’s too stubborn to accept it.” He explained. “Watch out.”

Indeed, as soon as Smidge entered Poppy’s bedroom, she realized the queen wasn’t her usual self. The pregnant troll was holding a cup of tea in her hands and reading a book about the best cream for hashes with tears streaming down her cheeks, completely drowning in hormones. 

“Hey, is everything okay?” Smidge asked, stealing a quick glance at the picture of a mom holding a happy baby.

“Oh, Smidge. Everything started so wrong.” Poppy sobbed, as if she was just waiting to be left alone with a friend to spill her fears. 

“Hey, it’s fine…” being Poppy’s best friend for years made Smidge understand when the Queen was being serious or just having a dramatic moment, but with the pregnancy added in that math, it made the smaller troll act extra careful. “I’m sure a lot of trolls go through this.”

“I’m not talking about the abruption,” adding another tissue to a pile by her bedside, Poppy took a deep breath. “I’m scared Branch might leave me when the child is born.”

“Oh… Poppy....” Smidge sat down on the edge of the queen’s bed and took her hand. “I know he had some sort of mental breakdown about this, but he looks thrillingly happy now. I’m sure he’s excited to be a dad, even if it’s challenging.”

The pink girl merely stared at her best friend. Poppy wanted to tell the truth to someone. It weighed on her to keep hiding that the baby was really his, but at the same time, everybody in the village, including Smidge, thought there was nothing to hide. 

“He really scared you with that break up, didn’t he?” Smidge smiled sympathetically and Poppy just nodded. Could she hide behind the excuse of being traumatized?

“I’m not feeling my best…” In the end, Poppy couldn’t pour her fears out and the hormones seemed a reasonable argument to let things remain unsaid. “What about some scrapbooking?” 

Both girls shared a smile, knowing that they would spend the afternoon sharing scissors and glues and pretending everything was fine.

Branch returned much later than he would have liked to. Several hours later, when the stars were already twinkling in the sky, he pushed the front door open and smiled when he smelled a spinach risotto. The food was inside a pan, on the stove and the recently cleaned dishes indicated that Poppy and Smidge had already helped themselves. 

“Does it hurt in any way?” The sound of Smidge’s concerned voice quickly broke Branch’s gastronomic heaven. The word ‘hurt’ never settled down easy when Poppy was involved. 

“No… it’s just like… it’s getting tight.”

Branch walked inside the room just in time to see Poppy looking at her exposed belly that seemed to be moving on its own, getting harder and inclined a bit oddly to the side. Smidge was flipping a few pages of the pregnancy guide.

“It is normal to start feeling these contractions about twenty-eight weeks, so we’re cool.” Smidge said, reading the pregnancy guide. 

“Contractions?!” Branch nearly freaked out at the door, repeating Smidge’s word in a high-pitched voice, getting the girls' attention. 

“Oh, Branch, you’re back!” Poppy turned her head with the smile that would always effectively calm him down. But the poor survivalist seemed to have forgotten how to reply… or how to move and breathe. “It’s okay, it’s not the time.”

“From what I see here…” Smidge continued, “It’s just a way for the uterus to prepare for birth. It’s not the actual birth. Oh look, you should get these moments to rehearse the breathing, as well!” 

The half-done scrapbooks were on the bed and on the floor. Branch noticed that Smidge had managed to keep Poppy occupied enough so she wouldn’t consider standing up. It could be a good idea… to distract the queen. 

So, the following days, when the pink girl was restless, he called a few friends over for a night of ice-cream and games. He did that for as long as he felt it was necessary.

***

“It can’t be normal, Poppy.” Branch whispered, holding himself back while feeling his irresistible girlfriend nibbling his ears with the expertise she had gotten from the time they had been together. Thirty-four weeks long and the queen seemed to be on fire all the time, craving for his touch every time he was near.

He had one eye open, staring at the way she was laying on her side, as close as her belly would allow her and another eye was close, enjoying the arousing attention he was getting. 

XX-XX

“I want you.” She said in a seductive voice that he had never heard before. Her small hand traveled from his neck to his chest until it was fully inside his shorts, causing him to roll his eyes back and hiss. “You clearly want me, too.”

It was true. He was having a hard time keeping his mind off his own needs. He was a mix of fright and desire. Once they had started being intimate again, he was in pure bliss, but for weeks, after the bed rest order, he was, again, holding back. 

And Hair, it was hard holding back, especially because Poppy seemed to be craving for him. 

“Turn around,” He huskily commanded on her ears and felt his heart insides burning with need once she bit her lower lip to obey him. 

Strategically, the best he could think of was to spoon her. She loved that position and she wouldn’t move much. He just hoped it would be enough to satiate both their hungers. 

With clothes instantly removed, he squeezed the skin of her tights in his hands, never being able to get enough. His lips were on her neck and her breathing progressively turned into screams. 

Her hand searched for his and he immediately intertwined their fingers above her head. 

His kitchen table for some reason flashed in his mind when he came. She also cried out his name, never before feeling so happy. 

XX-XX

“I love you.” He showered her with small kisses on her forehead, on the side of her face, neck and shoulder, causing Poppy to cutely giggle at his boyish romanticism. 

“I love you, too, Branch.” She whispered, turning around to give him a full kiss. 

They could barely stay awake anymore and as his eyelids closed, Branch wrapped his arm around her, realizing that he had a family. 

  
  


***

Poppy didn’t stay all ten weeks in bed. When she reached thirty-six weeks she wasn’t acting like herself anymore and Branch wondered if she realized it, at all. The first time he noticed something weird was going on was when she decided the mushroom wasn’t clean enough. She gave him quite a fright when he walked inside after a day of attending the villagers and found her dusting off the lounge room on top of a chair. It had ended in an argument about how she should wait for him because she still needed bed rest. 

And she was on top of a chair!

The fact that he had to remind her about safety was the crucial clue to figure out she wasn’t fully sane. 

Then there was her bathing time. Branch didn’t leave her alone for a second, he always made sure she was happily sitting down in the tub before leaving the door wide open so he could keep an eye on her. He usually found her scrubbing furiously and complaining that the smell of the soap would fade too soon. She wanted to smell ‘clean’ all day long. 

Holly paid a visit one day and called it "nesting". She thought Branch's worries were funny, but was concerned about Poppy’s lack of rest.

And there was the blood pressure problem. He would monitor it in the mornings and evenings. During the first hours of the day it was high and he would get worried, but then, before bedtime, it seemed to be back to normal. She’d also drink three or four bottles of water at night and then make many trips to the bathroom. Neither of them was sleeping much. 

Thinking she might be stressed, Branch decided to give her a day full of joy and candies, feeling that it could be the last days they were by themselves. She would be hopping all the way down to the middle of the village if he hadn’t given her a warning glare. So, he held her hand tightly and made sure she walked - slowly - by his side. 

“Is there anything special you want?” he asked.

“I want to spend time with you,” those cutely long eyelashes blinked slowly at him and he couldn’t help himself, but to pull her into a sweet kiss. Poppy moaned, closing her eyes and melting into his arms. Branch tried to pull away, but she made a protesting sound and pulled him against a tree. Breathing heavily, he looked around from right to left, seeing that they were too exposed for a heavy make out. 

“Darling…” He never called her by nicknames and the way he whispered against her lips made her open her eyes to meet his apprehensive smile. “... hold until we’re home, will you?”

He helped her to sit down on a bench and went to buy cupcakes. Poppy suddenly went oddly quiet.

As soon as he turned around, Branch broke into a nervous sweat. He had bought her an engagement ring. It was in his pocket and the idea was to slip it up her finger while giving her the cupcake. The only problem was that he just checked her fingers when she grabbed his leaf vest and he noticed they were swollen! There was no way the ring would fit! He really wanted to propose before the baby was born, but it would be a massive failure if he couldn’t get the ring on her finger. 

“Hey, Branch, just saw that Poppy is out.” Smidge came after him, looking up to her queen who was sitting down playing with a critter and looking incredibly adorable with that round belly. “Two more weeks, hey?”

“Yeah…” Branch replied, looking down at the smaller troll, with obvious concern. “I have a feeling it could be any moment now.”

“And… I know you’ve announced you’re the dad and all, but how are you taking it?” Branch noticed that apparently, their friends - who had been there to support them during the breakup - still were concerned about their arrangement. 

“I feel like an idiot.” Branch shrugged. “I could have spared us the drama if I had stayed and had a real and calm conversation,” ‘and the baby would be mine,’ he added mentally. “I really like the idea of being a dad now,”

“It’s so good to hear that, Branch!” the yellow troll hugged him tightly, noticing how better he had gotten at hugging. “Now, go feed your girls.”

In the end, Branch decided against proposing. His perceptive eyes quickly calculated the circumference of her finger and the size of the ring, it would be better to wait until she was back to her regular size and then sweep her off her feet on a romantic night. 

The day was one of those peaceful ones where nothing extraordinary happened in Trollstopia. Everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves with no bigger events, no loud music nor rodeos to attend to. Poppy rested her head on his lap while he slurped some juice. The cupcakes plate was on top of her belly and she’d hold it from time to time at each vigorous kick the baby made. 

“Do you like Irises?” Poppy asked quietly, playing with a cupcake that she had been holding for the past minutes without eating. 

“They are nice flowers.” Branch raised an eyebrow in suspicion. He noticed her lips going pale once again and put a hand in his pocket to get the monitor. Only, Poppy stood up before he could stop her. “Where are you going?”

“There’s so many people here,” she said, looking around. Branch followed her eyes. There were quite a few trolls, not that many. “I must hug them.” 

“What?” Alarmed, Branch stood up and walked after her. Her eyes were half open and she hugged the first troll who gladly held her back. Then she slowly walked to the next. “Poppy, are you okay?”

“I’m feeling a little faint, but it’s all goo-od,” her voice cracked but a lazy smile was still on her face. 

“Ok…” he felt his heart quickening its pace. “I’ll go get our things,” Branch wouldn’t go out without the baby’s belongings. Since the week before, whenever Poppy went, he followed with the bag, ready to go straight to the hospital in case time came. 

And it seemed, time had come. 

“Poppy!” Smidge yelled, making Branch turn around to see his girlfriend standing there, looking completely spaced out with a puddle of water and blood under her. 

“Oh dear… I’ve made a mess…” 


End file.
